


The Candy Quest

by Snailhair



Series: Candy Quest [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Companion series to 'The Solo Series', Dickie - Freeform, Drinking Contest, Fluff, Funny situations, Hilarious, Humor, M/M, Peaches - Freeform, Sabriel - Freeform, Sexual Tension, bull riding contest, candy necklace, candy thiefs, companion story to 'Affection, established Destiel, some smut, spiked candy, strip club
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-24 08:41:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9713840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snailhair/pseuds/Snailhair
Summary: Hey, everyone! Did you miss me? ;) Just a small reminder before you dive in to this story: This is the first fic in a series of companion pieces to 'The Solo Series.' I know it sounds confusing, but once you start reading it, you'll understand what I mean. Things mentioned here take place at the same time as the solo series, just in different POVs. ;) And now, after almost three whole months, your patience has finally paid off! :) Here is the beginning of the Sabriel Companion, titled "The Candy Quest"! Please enjoy! And Happy Valentine's Day! :)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! Did you miss me? ;) Just a small reminder before you dive in to this story: This is the first fic in a series of companion pieces to 'The Solo Series.' I know it sounds confusing, but once you start reading it, you'll understand what I mean. Things mentioned here take place at the same time as the solo series, just in different POVs. ;) And now, after almost three whole months, your patience has finally paid off! :) Here is the beginning of the Sabriel Companion, titled "The Candy Quest"! Please enjoy! And Happy Valentine's Day! :)

Sam glanced between his brother and Castiel as they all stood silently in Bobby's kitchen. It was glaringly apparent that something had happened between the two of them earlier. They weren't even looking at each other now, which was a stark difference from how they had been acting lately; all goo-goo eyed and disgustingly _romantic_. And it tugged on Sam's heart to see his brother so upset. Was there something he could do to help? Maybe Dean and Cas just needed some time alone...

The younger Winchester casually grabbed the Impala keys off the counter and started to back toward the door. If all Dean and Cas needed to be happy again was a few hours to themselves, he wasn't going to stand in the way. At the sound of clinking keys, they both turned to give Sam strange looks. Sammy smirked, looking from one confused expression to the other.

“I think I'll go shoot some pool at the bar in town,” he hinted, turning the knob at his back, “Probably won't be back until the early hours of the morning. You know how it is...”

Sam could see that his subtle message was sinking in; at least for his brother, anyway. Dean's confusion slowly shifted into understanding. There was almost a 'thank you' written in his woeful eyes. Sam winked at his brother as he stepped the rest of the way outside.

“Looks like you've got the whole house to yourselves tonight,” he quickly added before ducking out.

After closing the door, Sam took a breath and strode to the car nearby to climb inside. The radio came on as he started her up and backed out of the driveway. And as he pulled away, Sam felt confident that this was the right decision. He made his way down the road in no particular direction, figuring that he would come across a bar eventually. The scenery blurred pasted the car while he sat deep in thought.

Sam sincerely hoped that Dean and Cas would work things out while he was gone. As much as their intimate relationship made him feel awkward at times, he still enjoyed seeing them smile like star-crossed teenagers. To be honest, he was slowly getting used to it – all that 'touchy-feely' stuff they did in private. What they did alone together was their business and he tried his best not to imagine it.

A few minutes passed like this, with Sam just driving and listening to the quiet radio. The silence was only fueling his thoughts, making them grow and shift. All of the sudden, he was struggling with a churning sensation in his gut. What would it be like to have a relationship like Dean and Cas shared? They looked so damn happy all the time, always giving each other secret smirks and sneaking off to get frisky. They were acting like infatuated adolescence. Sam tried his best to shrug it off, as he stepped harder on the gas pedal. He was happy for them, truly he was. He was just curious to know how it felt to be so -

White noise suddenly cut across the radio.

Sam glanced toward the console and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Did the radio reception had just fail? The music was gone now, leaving only crackling in its absence. Sam reached over and pressed the off button, but the noise didn't stop. Sammy eventually turned his attention back to the road with a heavy sigh. Great. First she needs an oil change and now the radio's messed up. What was Dean going to say? Before Sam could get too upset about it, though, a new song started playing in the car... A very familiar song...

_I never meant to be so bad to you..._

Sam could feel the blood drain from his face as those sharp guitar rifts echoed around him. No. Not this song. _Any_ song but this song! He instantly reached over and adjusted the dial, sliding it along the stations – but the song didn't change. It didn't even fade at all.

_One thing I said that I would never do..._

“What the hell?” Sam grumbled, repeatedly pressing the 'off' button.

Nothing was happening. The radio wasn't turning off or changing stations. He was stuck driving down the road, having his ears raped by this stupid song. Why couldn't it have been another tune? He would have been content with listening to anything else – even _Justin Bieber –_ just as long as it wasn't this terrible, terrible song!

_A look from you and I would fall from grace..._

“Hey, kiddo.”

Sam gasped, seeing someone pop into the seat beside him. His hands lost control of the steering wheel and the car swerved all over the road. The Impala was suddenly facing a gnarly oncoming tow truck. In a panic, Sam roped the steering wheel back toward the right lane. The trucker honked his horn as he flew by, shaking his fist out the window. Sam stomped on the brake, trying his best to guide the car onto the right shoulder.

The Impala screeched to a stop on the side of the road, the tires smoking and motor rumbling. Sam panted in shock, his numb fists glued to the steering wheel and eyes blown wide open. His insides were shaking with fear as his heart raced. What the hell just happened?! He snapped his head to the side to see who was responsible for almost getting him killed.

Gabriel was sitting casually in the seat next to him. Sam had not seen the archangel in a long time, but he looked the same as he did before; golden hair flared out around his head and amber eyes bright with smugness. There was a smell about him, too; a sweet odor that reminded Sam of carnival cotton candy. The archangel was dressed in normal every-day clothes and there was a sucker stick jutting out of his mouth.

“What the hell?!” Sam gasped over the annoying song still playing in the background.

“Geez, kid,” Gabriel slurred, the sucker puffing out one of his cheeks, “Who gave you a license? Must have been a blind guy, 'cause you drive worse than the captain of the Titanic.”

“This is _you_ , isn't it?” Sam realized, pointing a finger toward the radio, “ _You're_ playing this damn song! Turn it off!”

The archangel raised both of his hands in surrender and widened his eyes, acting dramatically defensive.

“Okay, okay,” he mumbled, waving a hand toward the radio, “No need to get your panties in a bunch, sweetheart.”

The song finally stopped, leaving the two of them to sit in near silence. Sam tried to ease his breathing. It felt like a million things were suddenly flying through his mind. What was an archangel doing here? Was it really necessary to play that damn song again? Gabriel didn't trap him in another time loop, did he? Should he call Dean? While Sam sat pondering all of these things, a small smile appeared on Gabriel's lips.

“What do you want?” Sam demanded, feeling caught between anger and fright.

The archangel tugged the sucker out of his mouth and smacked his lips together. Sam subtly noticed that the candy had turned Gabriel's mouth orange – and that the warm color perfectly accented the rest of his golden features.

“Typical Winchester,” Gabriel smiled, waving the lollipop toward Sam, “Always assuming people want something from you. Can't I just crash your party without needing a reason?”

“No,” Sam spoke flatly, not in the mood to deal with a trickster, “Why are you here?”

Gabriel sighed, his eyes slightly losing playfulness. He glanced around for a minute, flashing those bright honey eyes at certain parts of the car interior, before looking back at Sam.

“Alright, you got me,” he confessed, giving his sucker a quick lick, “I'm actually here to offer you a case.”

Sam blinked. A case? Gabriel – the trickster and all-out archangel – wasn't here to ruin his life and kill his brother a million times, but to offer him a _case_? Sam narrowed his eyes at the archangel, feeling rightfully skeptical.

“Really?” he said, voice still flat, “And just what type of case is it?”

“A case involving me,” Gabriel smirked, bouncing his eyebrows.

Sam rolled his eyes. Just as he was about to blatantly refuse this 'case', Gabriel finished his sentence in an unnaturally angered tone.

“...and a villainous, tyrannical fiend.”

The archangel's smirk was gone now, replaced with a look of disgust and rage. The sight made Sam strangely curious. What kind of creature had the power to upset Gabriel, of all people, like this?

“A fiend?” Sam pressed, wanting to hear more.

“Yes,” Gabriel said, his upper lip snarling, “she's a cruel, heartless, power-hungry bitch who feeds off the brutal torment of others and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”

Sam swallowed harshly. Wow. That sounded like a pretty nasty character to him. Who was _she_? And what had she done to piss off an archangel?

“What did she do?” Sam asked, genuinely interested.

“She stole something from me,” Gabriel answered, slowly blinking his amber eyes directly at Sam, “Want to help me get it back?”

Sam took a large breath as he traced the trickster's face with is eyes. His mind was warning him not to do it, telling him things like, ' _You can't trust this guy. He's a liar and a cheat and you'll end up getting screwed-over again._ ' But, as he sat staring at the almost vulnerable honey eyes in front of him, Sam's heart began to whisper something else. Something in a sweet and gentle way that almost resembled an affectionate tone... ' _Ah, what the hell. Just go for it, Sam._ '

Even though nervousness was laying thick in his gut, Sam forced a nod.

“Fine,” he sighed, knowing he didn't have anything better to do anyway, “What did she take?”

Gabriel's smirk returned as he chucked his sucker out the window over his shoulder. Sam watched the archangel lean forward to place both of his hands on the dashboard.

“I'll show you,” he said.

A bright, white light suddenly flashed in Sam's face, forcing him to briefly close his eyes. He blinked them open a second later to search his surroundings. The man and the archangel were still sitting in the car together, but the scenery around the vehicle had changed. The Impala was parked on the side of the street in a small town, now. The red sunset was shining off the building windows and a few cars were rolling slowly passed. Sam could pick out a diner, a post office, and a police station all on different street corners. It looked like they had landed right in the heart of middle-America.

“Where are we?” Sam asked, watching a few old ladies waddle passed the car.

“A small town in Arkansas,” Gabriel answered, opening the passenger door, “Don't let the 'Pleasantville' vibe fool you, Sasquatch. That evil creature is lurking around here. Come on.”

Sam rolled his eyes as he climbed out of the car to follow the archangel. He had dealt with plenty of monsters in his time. Hell, he even fought the devil himself _and won_. There wasn't much that could put Sam Winchester on edge. But there was something about the way Gabriel talked about this person that made Sam look over his shoulder when he walked. Who would steal something from an archangel like Gabriel? And why would they even try? It must have taken one fierce being to pull off that colossal feat.

Gabriel stopped abruptly at a convenient store window and turned to peer inside, nearly pressing his nose against the glass. Sam watched his honey eyes narrow, noticing that the red sunset caused his golden hair to look orange – Wait, why did Sam care how the sunset looked on Gabriel's hair? The man shook himself out of his strange thoughts as the archangel began to talk.

“There's the heartless spawn now,” he grumbled, nodding toward the window.

Sam braced himself for the first sight of this vile person. Would it be a balding old woman with a hunch-back? Or a devilishly sexy vixen with a gun in her back pocket? Or large, burly amazon woman capable of wielding an ax with one hand? Nothing could have prepared him for what he really saw standing at the counter inside...

“A... girl scout?” Sam asked, lost.

She was just a little girl, about nine or ten years old, humming sweetly while she perused the candy at the counter. To top it all off, her blonde hair was in pigtails, curled on each side of her little face. She looked absolutely adorable in her little girl scout uniform with all those badges. _This_ was the terrible creature Gabriel was talking about?

“Is... Is she possessed or something?” Sam asked, assuming there was more than what met the eye.

Sam looked down to see Gabriel's eyes flicker away. The trickster seemed a tad bit embarrassed, shifting his feet as he gulped. That cotton candy scent was still wafting from him.

“Well, uh, no. Not exactly,” he said, scratching the back of his head.

“It's just a little girl?!” Sam said, shocked, “A tiny little human girl? Are you serious? What could she have possible stolen from you?”

Gabriel pointed at the window, making Sam look again at the tiny girl in question.

“See that candy necklace she's wearing? It's mine,” he stated in a severe tone.

Sam's sight fell to the candy chain on the child's neck and he had to fight off the sudden urge to laugh. An archangel was stumped by a little girl in pigtails and it was all over a little bit of candy. God, this sounded like something out of a children's storybook. Gabriel looked up to see Sam struggling to contain his laughter.

“What? Are you in the first grade?” Sam teased, a smile finally flashing on his face, “Do you want me to tell the teacher she stole your candy, little boy?”

Gabriel rolled his eyes as a smile flickered on his own lips.

“Very funny,” he said flatly, “but this is serious, Bucko. She's not supposed to have that, okay?”

“Why not?” Sam asked, “No girls allowed in the candy club or something?”

It felt nice to tease Gabriel in the same way Gabriel teased him. Not just because it gave the guy a taste of his own medicine, but because the archangel could take it as well as dish it out. But this time, Gabriel was serious. And he replied to Sam's sarcasm with blunt honesty.

“No. Because that is a very 'special' candy necklace, kid,” he explained, playfulness gone, “It's spiked with some 'angelic stuff', if you know what I mean, and if she eats any of it... I dunno what it would do to her.”

Sam's smile carefully slipped away. It kind of surprised him to think that Gabriel would actually care for someone's safety and not just his own benefit. The man swallowed harshly, feeling a little guilty that he had assumed Gabriel was so careless of others. Maybe the guy wasn't as selfish as he thought. After glancing at the little girl again, Sam looked back down at the archangel.

“So, why don't you just take it?” he asked, “Zap it off her or something?”

Gabriel's smile returned at full power.

“My dad's got this strict 'don't harm the kids' policy written somewhere. Trust me, If I could get it off her without hurting her, I would. But, like I said before, she's a total bitch,” he stated.

Sam looked back through the window at the innocent little girl. There was no way she was the cruel, heartless creature Gabriel made her out to be. She was buying licorice and soda, for God's sake!

“Did you even try talking to her?” Sam asked.

Gabriel gave a small chuckle. He maneuvered his way passed Sam to get to the door of the convenient store and held the glass door open to gesture toward the inside.

“You think you've got social skills, Tarzan?” he smirked, “Prove it.”

Sam straightened his clothes and breezed passed the archangel. He was confident that this wouldn't take but a minute to accomplish. Sam believed he had a certain way with kids. The man strode carefully up to the little girl, who was blissfully unaware of the world around her. He glanced back to see that Gabriel was standing by the door watching, his arms crossed and grin enormous. After receiving a wink from his amber eye, Sam returned his attention back to the little girl and gently reached out to tap her shoulder. She spun around and looked up at him with gigantic, innocent brown eyes.

“Hi,” Sam said, giving the most trustworthy smile possible, “I like your necklace.”

The girl didn't smile. She simply blinked up at him without expression. Sam gulped, trying to hold onto his confidence. He could feel Gabriel's eyes on him; watching for the smallest slip-up.

“Where did you get it?” Sam went on, deliberately eye-balling the candy around her little neck.

“It's _mine_!” the little girl shouted, clutching the necklace to her chest.

In a sudden outrage, the girl scout reared her foot back as far as she could before kicking Sam in the shin. Sam groaned out loud, falling to kneel and cradle his lower leg. He stared up at the kid in shock, as pain echoed up his thigh. What the hell did she do that for?!

“You can't have it, Jerkface!” she spat, running for the exit, “and your _boyfriend_ can't have it either!”

Sam watched her run out the door and passed Gabriel, who was guarding his own legs. As the girl scout disappeared down the sidewalk, a weird feeling bubbled in Sam's gut. Did she really just refer to Gabriel as his boyfriend?! The man stood up and limped toward the door, where Gabriel was grinning pompously. Sam hated seeing that 'I told you so' look on the trickster's face. God, he hated it.

“Don't worry about it, Sammy,” the archangel said, patting Sam's shoulder, “You win some. You lose some. You get kicked in the knee. Shit happens, kid.”

Sam started to tell Gabriel that only Dean had the right to call him 'Sammy,' but there was something about the way it rolled off the archangel's tongue that sounded nice. It made Sam's gut feel warm, like taking a sip of hot coco in the middle of winter. The man shook it off as he set his sights on the direction the kid ran off in. There was only one thing he knew for certain.

“I'm gonna get that damn necklace,” he stated with determination.

Sam secretly enjoyed seeing the grin that spread on Gabriel's lips.

“That's the spirit, kiddo,” he agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam grimaced and limped down the sidewalk, letting his eyes flashing around the immediate area to scan the street for a pair of blonde pigtails and a green sash. Aggravation and disbelief were potent in his gut. That little brat had no right to kick him in the shin like that. He could understand now, why the trickster had talked so badly about her before. She had definitely earned the terrible names Gabriel called her. The archangel himself was right on Sam's heels with a grin still glued firmly to his mouth.

“She got you good, didn't she?” he asked, jogging up to Sam's side.

The man limped on, trying to hurry and find her before she disappeared forever. He could feel Gabriel's eyes on him, moving up and down his whole form as they walked together. Why was the archangel staring at him instead of helping him search for the girl scout? Did he not care about getting the necklace back, now?

“I can sympathize with those poor guys from 'Home Alone,” Gabriel chuckled a little, “Can't you, Sammy-boy?”

Sam gave a half-smile at the trickster's comment. Yeah, he could totally understand their disposition, now; getting viciously beaten up by a little kid. How could you even defend yourself from a deranged ten-year-old if you weren't allowed to hit back? Sam glanced down at Gabriel's bright honey eyes as they walked down the street. The guy seemed genuinely entertained by all of this. Was it fun for him to watch Sam try to deal with this kid?

“Where the hell did she go,” Sam grumbled, not seeing her anywhere.

It was like the girl scout had flat out vanished in the middle of town. As he turned in circles to look for her, Sam began to wonder if this was worth it. Was it really necessary that they get the necklace back? Would it really _kill_ her if she ate it?

“What the hell did you put in that candy, anyway?” Sam asked, kind of curious.

Gabriel's smirk turned a little suggestive. There was a new emotion glowing in his amber eyes now, one Sam had never seen before. The only word he could think of to describe it was... _naughty_.

“Okay, look,” the archangel began, leaning close to Sam to talk quietly, “I may have big wings and a shiny halo, but I'm not exactly an angel. You should know better than anyone that I love screwing around.”

Sam nodded. Oh yeah. He definitely knew that the archangel had trouble keeping his hands clean, especially when it came to _Sam_ for some reason. Gabriel went on.

“So, to answer your question, I _may_ or _may not_ have taken some 'love potion number nine' from heaven's secret stock and made myself some personal, er, _drugs_ , if you will. For private use only.”

Sam's eyes narrowed and the golden-haired archangel before him. He tried to see passed the riddles Gabriel spoke in to understand what he was really talking about.

“Love drugs?” the man repeated, “You mean like... sex stuff, don't you?”

In Sam's mind, Gabriel and the term 'sex' had always resided in different corners; two separate thoughts that never had a reason to meet. But now, the ideas were blending together in his head. _Gabriel and sex_. Sam's eyes suddenly dropped to glance at the general region of the archangel's crotch. Why did the meeting of those two words feel so... strangely pleasant?

Gabriel stepped closer, tilting his head back to look directly up at Sam, breaking the man's stare from his pants. That sweet, sugary scent was potent again, slipping in and out of Sam's nose with each of his breaths. Did his eyes always seem that golden? The archangel crossed his arms and lifted an eyebrow.

“That's right, cupcake,” he smirked, “and if you help me get it back... it's all yours.”

Sam swallowed harshly. The candy – the _angel-crafted, sex-infused_ candy – could be all _his_? Sam couldn't deny that he was a little curious to know what trying a bit of it might do to him. And it was obviously for adult consumption only, which meant that little kids shouldn't have it anyway. Gabriel's face was so full of persuasion. How could Sam possibly turn back, now?

“Where did she go?” Sam asked again, feeling a little eager now.

Gabriel nodded his head toward the left, making his shaggy golden hair toss to the side.

“I think she ducked inside that arcade,” he answered.

Sam glanced along the street to make sure no cars were coming before starting across the road. Gabriel was at his back again, following right along. A tingling sensation was growing in the depths of Sam's stomach, similar to the one he got whenever he hunted with Dean. It felt like he was embarking on a strange adventure; taking on a quest with his witty companion to retrieve a lost artifact. Part of him tried to shrug off the Indiana Jones vibe, but the other part wanted it to stay. For once, things weren't demons or ghosts, or life or death. He and Gabriel were chasing down a candy thief like a couple of kids and he was actually having _fun_ for the first time in a long time.

Sam fought down a smile as he pulled the arcade door open. Lots of dings, whistles, and buzzing sounds lit the room up with noise, along with voices and giggles of children. The man instantly scanned among the loud machines for pigtails again, searching for the girl scout. Gabriel walked up to stand at his side and help him search, and it wasn't long before the archangel tugged on his sleeve and pointed toward the right.

“There's little miss sunshine,” he said over the arcade sounds.

Sam's eyes zoomed in on the air hockey table. Sure enough, he spotted that little green sash with all the badges. She was standing in line with a fist full of quarters and glancing around mindlessly. Sam instantly strode toward her, shoving passed a few boys who were fighting over the next Pac-Man game. As he approached her, the little blonde girl saw him coming. Her brown eyes widened a little and her hand shot to her pocket.

“Don't come any closer,” she warned, pulling out her cell phone, “or I'll call the cops!”

As much as Sam wanted to lurch forward and rip the damn thing off the kid, he took a deep breath and slowed to a stop. He was trying to show that he wanted a friendly encounter, free of shin-kicks. The man held his hands open for good measure, letting her see that he meant well.

“Fine,” he sighed, “I just want to talk, okay?”

“About what?” she asked.

The little girl appeared sort of interested, so Sam continued with caution, wanting to get his words right.

“We both know that necklace isn't yours,” he proceeded, “but you seem like a smart girl. How about we trade?”

The little girl glanced around, letting her curly pigtails sway around her face. She seemed to be seriously debating the exchange. Sam took the time to glance back at Gabriel. For some reason, the archangel was keeping his distance, loitering around the crane machines and watching from afar. Gabriel winked a golden eye at him when they saw each other, presumably for good luck. Sam faced forward again and was met with the little girl's stare.

“That sounds fair,” she agreed, twirling the candy in her short fingers.

Sam sighed again with relief. Maybe getting the thing back from her wouldn't be as hard as he thought it would. She was blissfully ignorant of how much power those small candies held, and it would not be good if she found out.

“What would you like?” Sam offered, figuring she would ask for a different type of candy.

She smiled sweetly, blinking her large brown eyes with happiness.

“A thousand dollars.”

Sam's jaw hit the floor. _A thousand dollars?!_ Was she talking about _American currency?!_ What the hell was this kid planning on buying?! A new tree house for her barbie dolls?!

“What?!” Sam asked, thinking he had heard the outrageous amount incorrectly.

“You heard me,” she sneered, her smile disappearing, “I want a thousand dollars. You know, ten Franklins? Twenty Grants? Fifty -”

“I know how to count money,” Sam nearly yelled over the noisy arcade, feeling anger swell in his chest.

He couldn't believe how condescending this damn ten-year-old was. What kind of kid talked like this?! And she was being as serious as ever, not backing down from her offer in any way.

“That's my price, numbskull,” she spat, “If you and your weirdo boyfriend want it back -”

“He's not my boyfriend,” Sam grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Then, you'll give me a thousand dollars,” she continued, ignoring Sam's interruption, “before school starts tomorrow.”

Sam nearly gasped. Before school started?! That only gave them ten hours, at the most, to get the money! Sam glanced around, racking his brain for a compromise. This kid was obviously set on that price. But Gabriel was an archangel, right? Maybe he could just print money with his celestial power or something. Maybe it wouldn't take them long at all to gather the staggering amount of cash. Sam looked back down at the pompous girl scout again, who looked pridefully smug.

“Fine,” Sam forced himself to say, “We'll get your damn money. On one condition.”

“What is it?” she asked.

Sam's eyes fell to the candy on the string around the child's neck. It didn't look like any of the pieces were missing yet, because the necklace was full all the way around. He pointed his finger at them and gave the kid a stern look.

“Don't eat any of those,” he warned, using his deepest and most threatening tone, “I mean it.”

Sure, Sam wanted to try the candy. But he was honestly more concerned for the girl's safety. Gabriel said that eating those might kill her, and Sam didn't want that to happen. She might have been a little snot-nosed terror, but she was still an innocent child. The girl scout glanced down at the candy before looking back up with curiosity.

“Why?” she asked, sounding suspicious.

“Because... that necklace means a lot to my friend,” Sam quickly lied, gesturing behind him to Gabriel, “and I don't want to return it half-eaten.”

“Why?” she asked again, “Did _you_ get it for him? For your anniversary?”

“He's not my boyfriend,” Sam asserted again.

Ugh, what made her think that they were a couple? The little girl took a deep breath. She appeared to be debating, twirling the candy beads in her fingers while she stared away. After a moment, Sam watched as she tucked the necklace inside her tan uniform, hiding it under her shirt. Afterward, she held out her small hand.

“Deal,” she finally said.

Sam nodded, glad negotiations were finished.

“Deal,” he agreed.

Sam took her hand, which was extremely small compared to his own, and gave it a gentle shake. His monsterous hand nearly engulfed hers. After they shook on it, the girl scout pulled back to point a finger beyond the arcade doors.

“My bus stop is right there,” she said, beginning to walk away, “I'll meet you and your boyfriend there at seven tomorrow morning.”

“He's not my -”

Sam stopped mid-argument, as the girl was already out of ear-shot. Instead of catching and correcting her, Sam turned to wade through the sea of loud children to get back to Gabriel. But the archangel was suddenly in front of him, staring up with eager golden eyes.

“How did the peace treaty go, chief Winchester?” he asked.

“Not so great,” Sam admitted, stepping closer to him to talk over the sound of the arcade, “We need a thousand bucks. By morning.”

Gabriel's mouth tumbled open dramatically and his eyebrows scrunched together. Sam cringed at his surprised reaction, hoping that the archangel would be able to remedy the situation with his grace.

“I was thinking, maybe you could just... create the money..?” Sam muttered, hearing how weird it sounded out loud.

The archangel burst into laughter at Sam's suggestion, literally doubling over to hold onto his knees. Some kids around them actually stopped to watch him laugh, probably wondering what was so funny. Sam could feel his face flushing with embarrassment, but Gabriel eventually raised up and wiped his eyes.

“What do I look like? An ATM?” he grinned, “Sorry, kiddo. I can't _make_ money.”

Sam hung his head. He should have known better than to make a deal that included an ass-ton of money. Especially with a snotty little brat. A warm hand was suddenly clutching Sam's arm. The man looked down to see Gabriel's fingers tight around his bicep. His eyes traveled to the archangel's face, where an understanding expression was written in his soft features.

“But if it's money we need, I know where we can get it,” he hummed.

Sam gulped, watching the mischievous smirk spread across Gabriel's moist lips.

Oh, God. What had Sam gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how many of you have already read this before over on FF.net, so if this is your first time - Pandora, I'm looking at you ;) - I really hope you're enjoying it so far. Gabriel is a hoot, isn't he? I try to make him that way, anyway. lol. ;) By the way, does anyone else miss the old arcades? Where you could go and play air hockey with your friends? Those were the days, huh? ... Oh, don't mind me. I'm just reminiscing about my childhood. lol. :) I really hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! Thank you so much for reading and commenting! The next chapter - which introduces one of my all time favorite four-legged pals - will be out soon! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Before Sam could ask Gabriel what he had in mind in terms of getting money, the archangel took him by the arm and – with a sudden whoosh – the arcade was gone. All the sounds, lights, and loud children were left behind as the two of them suddenly popped up somewhere else.

Sam quickly searched his new surroundings to figure out where they had just landed. A thin strip of night sky was dangling overhead, as tall brick buildings boxed them in a dark alley. Steaming manholes, apartment fire escapes, and overflowing dumpsters were peppered all around them. And it was loud. The sirens of ambulances and cop cars were echoing distantly. Obviously, they were in a big city. But which city was it?

“Where are we?” Sam asked, glancing over to look at the trickster.

But the archangel was gone from his side. Sam was standing by himself in the alley now, alone in the dim streetlight. A slight panic came over him as he quickly spun around to search for Gabriel. Where did he go? And _why_ did he go? Sam could feel himself beginning to sink back into that tiny gap between fear and anger again. That damn archangel wasn't pulling another stupid trick, was he?

“Gabriel,” Sam hissed in the dark.

“Don't call me that.”

Sam gasped and jumped nearly a foot in the air. He spun around to see the archangel standing there again, holding a piece of paper and smiling. Sam panted and clutch his chest. Geez, Gabriel could have given him a heart attack, sneaking up behind him like that!

“Wow,” Gabriel smirked, his honey eyes almost glowing in the dark, “You know, for a hunter, you're a pretty jumpy bastard, kid. But seriously. Stop calling me 'Gabriel.' It sounds so... pretentious.”

Sam took an easing breath, trying to convince himself not to laugh. Gabriel was the _king_ of pretense. If anyone had earned the title of pretentious, it was this smug bastard. If fact, it seemed kind of out of character for him to demote himself like that. It made Sam wonder -

“Why?” he asked, eying the paper in the archangel's hand, “Don't like your own name?”

“I'd rather hear you call me 'Gabe',” the archangel smirked, “It sounds better in that neanderthal voice of yours. And it rhymes with 'Babe,' which we all know you're dying to call me anyway -”

“No, I'm not,” Sam interrupted, feeling his cheeks flush in the dark.

“ - but either way,” he continued as if Sam hadn't spoken, holding the piece of paper out, “you'll thank me for this.”

Sam rolled his eyes at Gabriel's teasing – or should he consider it flirting? – and ripped the paper out of his hand to strain in the dark to see what was on it. There was a photo of a dog at the top; a small brown and white Jack Russel Terrier. The dog seemed like a photogenic little guy, all happy with his tiny tail straight up in the air. Sam smiled slightly at the picture. He couldn't help but think what a cute dog it was. Hell, Sam always had a soft spot for dogs. They were just so carefree and happy... like he wanted to be. Sam's eyes fell to the bottom portion of the paper, where a very large number was printed in bold ink: _$1,000_.

“No way,” Sam whispered, searching the paper to see if it was true, “A thousand bucks just to find and return a dog?!”

“Damn straight,” Gabriel grinned, “Those people must think that dog shits golden bricks or something.”

“We've gotta find it,” Sam said, looking up at the archangel with hopefulness.

Again, Sam felt that it wouldn't be a difficult task to accomplish, given that Gabriel was an archangel. The guy could probably spot a crater on mars; able to see anything from anywhere. So finding a single dog on Earth shouldn't be that big of a deal. But when Sam spoke, Gabriel's smile seemed to dim. His golden eyes flickered away as he reached behind his back.

“Well,” he sighed, “The thing is...”

The archangel brought his hand forward, and cradled perfectly in his grasp was the same dog from the picture. The little canine barked at Sam as his tail blurred back and forth. A smile flashed on Sam's face as he watched the dog wiggle around in Gabriel's hand. The Jack Russell was even cuter in person than he was in his picture; all energetic and smiley. Sam instantly stepped close to pet the tiny dog, who nuzzled deeper into his hand.

“I stole him from that apartment over there,” Gabriel seemed to admit, “His name is Dickie.”

“Dickie?” Sam repeated, after which the dog barked at him, “Why would you name him that?”

Gabriel's smirk turned playful as he bent down to put the dog on its feet. Sam wondered why the archangel wasn't answering his question... but it all became clear when the dog ran over to Sam. He sniffed Sam's leg for a second, before getting up on his hind legs to latch onto it. Then the dog went to town, humping feverishly and panting. Sam's smile disappeared and he tried to shake the dog off of him.

“Ew,” Sam grumbled.

“What can I say? He's got a thing for dicks,” Gabriel explained, giving a single chuckle, “and apparently you're the biggest one he's ever seen.”

“Ha ha,” Sam groaned darkly, still trying to shake the dog off, “It's no wonder he's _your_ pet, then. Geez, does he do this to everyone?”

“Only the sexiest of beasts,” Gabriel grinned, crossing his arms, “and he's obviously got good taste.”

Sam squinted his eyes toward the archangel. He was used to Gabriel's teasing, but this was turning into flat out flirting... Wasn't it? Sam stepped around the small space, still trying to get the dog off his leg as Gabriel fought down chuckles. The situation seemed to be so entertaining for him; watching Sam being violated by a tiny dog. But Sam didn't like it in the least.

“Get him off me,” Sam warned.

Gabriel rolled his eyes but gave a short whistle. Dickie instantly halted his hips and jumped off Sam's leg to look up at Gabriel and wag his tail. Sam shifted on his feet, relieved that he was through being molested. The archangel seemed to stare at the dog for a moment before looking back up.

“I like the little fur ball,” he sighed, meeting Sam's eyes, “He's been a good 'hottie detector'... But I guess if we need the money, I could give him back to those 'dog show' freaks...”

There was a genuine, underlying sadness hinted in Gabriel's voice. Sam watched the archangel's golden eyes drop back to the dog and could see actual guilt in his amber stare. The poor guy actually _cared_ about this ridiculous animal. Again, Sam was surprised by his own thoughts. Why did he keep assuming that Gabriel didn't have the capacity to care about something? He was obviously attached to this dog, but willing to sacrifice his relationship with his furry companion just to get money... for _Sam_.

Sam swallowed a bit, feeling strange. That was a terribly nice gesture of Gabriel, but what would happen if they did get all the money that quickly? They would trade it for the necklace... and the night would be over. They would go their separate ways and the rest of Sam's night would be utterly boring. Something deep down in Sam's being was gurgling with disapproval at the thought. He didn't want to part from the trickster. Not yet.

“Well... I'm sure there are other ways to get the cash,” Sam suggested casually.

Gabriel's honey eyes flashed back up to meet Sam's. The smirk was growing back across his moist lips and Sam privately enjoyed seeing the mischievousness return to Gabriel's features. He looked devilishly sneaky, just like he ought to be.

“There's a bar across the street,” Gabriel mentioned, nodding toward the end of the alley over Sam's shoulder, “I'm sure we could haggle some money from a couple of idiots there.”

Sam smiled and gestured toward the road.

“Lead the way,” he offered.

* * *

Dickie the dog was right on Sam's heels as the man followed Gabriel into the bar. The fermented smell of alcohol and the fog of cigarette smoke was settled heavily in the air. The Winchester realized, as he trailed closely behind the archangel, that the people around the dim room were almost glaring at them; like this was _their_ bar and Sam and Gabe were aliens who weren't welcome. Only in movies did Sam think people actually received the cold shoulder like this.

“Uh, where exactly are we?” Sam asked again, realizing that Gabriel hadn't answered this question yet.

“Let's put it this way,” Gabriel smirked.

He paused to raise his hand and slide his fingers together with a sharp snap – and he was suddenly wearing a dark outfit, complete with leather jacket, biker boots, and sunglasses. The archangel reached up to slick his own golden hair back, adding a little flair to the whole 'bad boy' look. Sam blinked along his costume, noticing that Gabriel looked... strangely sexy. But it left Sam wondering why the hell he changed his clothes in the first place.

“If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” Gabe finally stated.

Sam sighed. Of course. They weren't in just any city. They were in _the_ city. New York City. Sam glanced around the bar again. It was no wonder everyone was glaring at them. It was just NYC nature to be pessimistic about newcomers and people in general. Sam shifted in his plaid shirt and jeans, feeling a little out of place. Maybe Gabriel was onto something. Maybe it was better to try and blend in.

“Hey.”

Sam and the archangel's eyes both shot to the bar. The bartender had put down the glass he was buffing with a rag to ominously lean over the counter. He squinted his eyes toward Sam and Gabe before nodding toward the floor.

“No dogs allowed,” he warned gruffly.

Sam looked down at Gabriel, knowing that no one – especially people who tried to throw their weight around – could get away with telling him what to do. The archangel glanced down at Dickie, who was still sniffing around Sam's legs, before lifting his sunglasses toward the bartender.

“Relax,” he hummed, nonchalantly waving a hand, “He's just here to watch the show.”

Sam felt just as confused as the bartender looked. A few guys scattered around the bar seemed to glance at each other questioningly too. Everyone was wondering what show Gabriel was talking about. Sam really hoped that the trickster knew what he was doing, otherwise they were probably gonna get a New York style beat down.

“What show?” somebody finally asked.

Gabriel's grin returned before he strode casually up to the bar. Two large men were perched there with drinks in hand. They were watching the archangel approach, seeming less-than-amused by his philandering personality. Gabriel patted them both on the back and glanced between them with a smirk. Sam could feel his heart picking up speed. It was like watching a dwarf pat two giants on the back. Sam felt like shielding his face with his hand and watching through the gap of his fingers. This couldn't possibly end well.

“The drinking contest,” the archangel answered, “between us and these two fine gentlemen.”

Sam swallowed harshly. Those two 'fine gentlemen' looked more like barbarians. One resembled the comic book version of Thor; large and muscular with a flowing mane of golden hair. And the other one was a spitting image of Captain Jack Sparrow from that pirate movie; tan, with greasy dreadlocks hanging by his face and an actual golden tooth shining in his mouth. They both looked at Gabriel before sharing a small stare... and nodding toward each other. Sam was shocked. Were they actually going to agree to this?

“I hope you've a pocket full of cash, little man,” the Thor wannabe said, “'cause we'll be happy to take the money from you and yer boyfriend.”

Sam's mouth fell open. Boyfriend?! Seriously?! First the girl scout, and now these guys?! Did he and Gabriel really look like a couple that much?!

“He's not my -”

Sam's sentence got lodged in his throat as all the unforgiving eyes in the bar were suddenly on him. He swallowed the rest of his rebuttal, fearful of the stares. Eh, it wasn't really that big of a deal anyway, right? As long as he didn't get beaten up by Thor and Jack Sparrow, Sam could handle being titled Gabriel's boyfriend. For now.

After everyone realized Sam wasn't going to finish talking, the two guys at the bar got up and made their way to a table. Gabriel followed them and gestured for Sam to come over. The Winchester forced himself to walk forward, feeling Dickie still wandering around his feet. He sincerely hoped Gabriel knew what he was doing. If this was just some stupid prank, Sam was going to go ape shit on him for stressing him out like this. Sammy took his place beside the archangel at the table, who was leaning casually against the back of the seat as if he were about to drink lemon aid with a couple of friends rather than hard liquor with a couple of bodybuilding strangers. While the bartender started to gather the shots, Sam leaned over to whisper to him.

“What the hell are we doing?” he hissed urgently in Gabriel's ear, “These guys look like they could out drink a fish! There's no possible way we can win this, Gabriel. We don't even have the cash to back it up if we lose.”

“That's quitter talk, Winchester,” the archangel smirked, “Lighten up. I've got your back. Not sure if you're aware, but this drop-dead-sexy body isn't just for looks. I'm an archangel, remember? I'll make sure you're alcohol levels get back in order. Just enjoy the ride, Sammy.”

Before Sam could object again, a large shot glass was placed in front of him. The pungent smell of alcohol instantly wafted into Sam's nose, muffling the sweet scent of Gabriel that he had gotten used to breathing all night. The Winchester didn't even have time to brace for consumption. All the men were raising their small glasses and he quickly copied them, not wanting to be left behind.

“The team still conscious after ten rounds gets two hundred dollars,” Gabriel suggested, holding the glass to his smirking lips, “What you do say, fellas?”

“Sounds like your money being put in my wallet,” the pirate guy said, “Deal.”

And then they were drinking. All three of them tossing their glasses back and Sam hesitantly copied them, gulping the brown fluid down to feel the high-proof alcohol burn his entire throat. He hadn't had a drink this strong in a long time and he forgot how terrible it tasted on his tongue... but how warm it felt in his stomach. Sam sat the empty glass back on the table and smacked his lips together. Ah, there was that old tingle; that weird sensation that felt like a damp blanket being draped over his mind. A smile actually grew on Sam's mouth.

“Is that all you've got?” Gabriel grumbled toward the bartender, “That tasted like apple juice from a daycare center. Have you got anything stronger back there? Or am I gonna have to take this competition to another bar?”

Sam could feel himself starting to sweat. If Gabriel kept talking like that, they were seriously going to be taken outside and given a stern lesson with a steel pipe. But the bartender seemed to take Gabriel's request with a grain of salt. Instead of telling him to get the hell out, the bartender waddled behind the bar and retrieved a certain bottle. He then brought it out to fill all the glasses on the table. Sam coughed at the mere smell of it being poured. The scent could have knocked over a horse, it was so strong. A drink like this was sure to put Sam on his ass.

Thor and Captain Sparrow seemed to be grinning wildly, as if they'd had this drink before. Again, the four of them raised their glasses to their mouths. Sammy paused to glance around and see that a crowd was gathering; everyone in the bar watching to see who was going to win this little drinking contest. The eyes only added to Sam's nervousness... but he was sure that after this drink, he wasn't going to be feeling anything.

“Go!” Thor shouted.

Sam tossed the stinging liquid to the back of his throat, instantly regretting the decision. The fire from the first drink was refueled with this one; reigniting the flames to make him feel like he was burning alive from the inside out. Sam coughed and clutched his neck in discomfort. Geez, it felt so terrible going down... but, oh yeah, it felt so good swimming in his stomach. That tingle grew even fiercer; lightening his head and making his limbs feel heavy. Oh, he was definitely feeling it now. He glanced over to see Gabriel watching him with a smirk. Sam enjoyed seeing the honey eyes on him.

“You doing alright, kid?” he asked.

Sam nodded. Oh, yeah. He was doing more than alright. The archangel looked beyond Sam to the bartender that was standing by the table.

“Three rapid-fire shots, my friend. That is, unless these little boys don't think that they can handle it,” Gabriel said, nodding toward Thor and Jack.

“Watch your tone, midget-man,” Thor warned, leaning across the table in a threatening pose.

Something about the guy insulting Gabriel like that made rage shoot through Sam like a strike of lightening. For the moment, he forgot he was surrounded by drunk strangers.

“Hey!” Sam spat, equaling the man's threatening posture, “Don't be callin' him names, ass-face.”

Before the men could argue some more, twelve full glasses of the shiny, brown liquid from heaven were placed on the table. Sam eyed his own three shots, ready to take them all. Oh, they looked so good. So tasty. He glanced up at Thor across from him as he picked up the first one and held it to his lips. Mmm, it smelled like fermented cherries.

“All right, guys,” Gabriel said, his voice sounding sexier than Sam remembered, “One after the other now, if you're man enough. Ready, go!”

Sam threw the first shot down his gullet, wincing again at the sting, before grabbing the next one. He forced it down too, trying to ignore the fire and his body's shouts of disapproval, before grabbing the last. He paused to take a heated breath before swallowing the last gulp of lava-like liquid.

Sam's vision blurred as he sat the empty glass back on the table. Whoa, he had never felt like this before; like an astronaut floating in space. He glanced over at the archangel at beside him, sort of wondering if he was feeling all of this weirdness, too. Gabriel's smirk was the same as ever – if not prettier. How was that possible? For someone's lips to look even more beautifuler than before? So pink and cherry-ish? Sam blinked a few times, unable to think for a moment as Gabriel waved his hand in front of his unfocused eyes.

“Hey, you still with me, Sammy-boy?” he asked, his light features looking concerned.

“What's it to ya, Gabey-baby?” Sam slurred, feeling the urge to laugh.

Gabriel actually chuckled, filling the space with the nice sound. Sam like hearing the trickster laugh. It was hardy and warm; like a loaf of fresh baked bread. And on the subject of food, Sam was hungry. He glanced around, wondering where his food was. He had ordered some food, right? Where was the waiter?

A loud thump pulled Sam's attention back to the seats in front of him. The pirate had fallen out of the chair, and was now face down on the floor in a puddle of his own drool. Sam gave a chuckle at the sight, pointing at the passed out captain.

“Ha!” he laughed, “Pirate can't hold his liquor! What a joke!”

The crowd around the table laughed a little and Sam felt oddly proud of himself. Take that, Jerry Seinfeld! There's a new comedian in town! And his name is... Er... What was Sam's name, again?

“You cheated!” Thor growled, staggering to his feet and banging his fists against the table.

Sam's smile disappeared and the laughter cut short in the room. Everyone had there eyes on the massive man towering over the table, fearing what he was going to do to Sam and Gabe. But as soon as he was on his feet, Thor swooned; dipping to the side. Sam watched him try to reclaim his posture, fighting down the urge to giggle. After a moment of staggering, Thor thumped to the floor beside the pirate; his thick arms and legs splayed out.

The room suddenly erupted with applause, every one clapping and cheering for the winning team. Sam slowly climbed to his wobbly feet and gave a small bow to all of his adoring fans. Yes, he had single-handedly defeated the God of thunder without even touching him. All of this loving applause was well deserved.

“Alright, you big ol' diva-moose,” Gabriel smiled, shoving him toward the exit, “Time to go.”

“But I'm famous,” Sam argued, stumbling along with the archangel's hold, “My fans need me!”

They were back outside the bar again on the sidewalk in the dark. Sam clutched tight to Gabriel's shoulders, trying to keep himself upright. He still felt like he was walking on the moon, without gravity to hold him to the ground. The archangel steadied the drunk man, making Sam look down at him.

“Hold still,” he warned.

Before Sam could ask why, Gabriel placed his hand firmly on Sam's chest; bracing his palm flat to the man's breastbone. A dim light began to glow under the archangel's palm and Sam could feel something happening in his body. His drunken high – the feeling of numbness and warmth – was slowly draining away. Sam took steady breaths, trying to cope with the weird sensation of dropping back down from being so high. His thoughts were becoming clear again and the heat in his gut dimmed away. The light under Gabriel's palm went out, but he didn't move his hand.

For a moment, the two of them just stood like that; with Gabriel's hand pressed to Sam's chest, directly over his beating heart. Sammy stared down into the archangel's amber eyes and noticed that they looked strangely serious for once; almost meaningful. And Sam liked it. For a split second, as he eyed Gabriel's inviting lips, it felt like they were about to lean forward and -

Dickie barked at their feet, interrupting the brief and intense moment. Sam flinched a little at the unexpected sound and Gabriel seemed to blink himself out of a daze. The archangel carefully dropped his hand away from Sam's chest and glanced around sheepishly. They could both feel that something had definitely been profound between them just now, but the moment was gone.

“Welp, there you go, kid,” Gabriel said, sounding like he was fighting off nervousness.

“What did you just do?” Sam asked, rubbing his own breastbone.

“I took the alcohol out of your blood stream,” Gabe answered, his smile returning, “Man, you really know how to have a good time, don't you?”

Sam gulped. He was aware of how dumb he'd just been acting and it made him feel a little embarrassed. The man scratched the back of his head with a red face.

“At least we won,” he reminded.

“Oh, yes we did,” Gabriel nodded, reaching into his pocket to pull out a fist full of cash, “Two hundred and eighty bucks.”

Sam's mouth fell open. Wait, how did they get that much money? They were only playing for two hundred, weren't they? Sam didn't remember them exchanging the money with the men at all. Those other two guys were still passed out in there...

“I stole it off 'em, while you were busy catering to your fan club,” the trickster explained, seeing Sam's confused face, “We're about a quarter of the way to victory, my antlered friend.”

Sam felt an odd tug in the bottom of his stomach. Half way to victory also meant half way to parting ways... Gabriel interrupted Sam's worry by grabbing his arm. Sam looked down at those honey eyes, seeing playfulness potent in the golden hues.

“I hope you're ready for another contest,” he winked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Out of all my stories, this was - and is - Dickie's first official appearance. And I certainly hope he made a good (or at least funny) impression with you, if you've never read about him before. I make sure to add him to _all_ of my Sabriel stories, now. Gabriel is never without him. ;) And I hope that the "Drunken" scene was easy to follow with all the grammatical errors and Sammy's weird inner monologue. lol. I've been drunk twice, and both times were not as fun as his experience was. lol. ;) I hope you all are enjoying the story! Thank you so much for reading and commenting! I love hearing from you!  <3 The next chapter - which includes a few cowboy hats - will be out soon! :)


	4. Chapter 4

“Another contest?” Sam mumbled, already feeling nervousness settle thickly in his gut, “What kind of -”

Before the man could even finish his sentence, he and Gabriel were standing somewhere else. The loud city atmosphere was gone, leaving them in a peacefully quiet place. Sam looked up to see that the night sky overhead was absolutely ginormous, displaying tons of twinkling stars in all their constellations. There was nothing around to block the view of it. No buildings or trees or even mountains. The land was flat.

Dickie, who had apparently traveled with them, barked at Sam's feet. The Winchester looked down to see the happy-go-lucky dog and noticed that the dirt they stood on seemed to stretch forever. No grass, just finely ground sand. Sam's eyes wandered over to glance at the archangel's feet nearby and couldn't help but think that Gabriel's shoes were so incredibly tiny compared to his own. Sam's eyes climbed slowly up the trickster's form, all the way to his smug face, and he sighed when he met those warm amber eyes.

“Where are we?” Sam grumbled, getting sick of asking that stupid question, “Are we in the desert or something?”

“You know, I think those songs are right,” Gabriel mused.

The archangel paused to hold his index fingers and thumbs out in a box shape toward Sam; sizing him up like he was a painting in a museum.

“Everything _is_ bigger in Texas,” he finished with a grin.

Sam rolled his eyes. Oh, joy. The lone star state was not the kind of place he was hoping this contest would be. What competition could possibly be going on in Texas? A tractor pull? A sheep-shearing contest? Who grew the biggest cucumber? And how much money would one of these contests offer, anyway? Fifteen bucks? Forty? Was Gabriel aware of all this information?

“What the hell are we doing in Texas?” Sam blurted, already uncomfortable with the southern vibe.

Gabriel was grinning as he took Sam by the arm and spun the man around to present a small saloon a few yards away. It looked like an inviting place on the outside; wooden porch-like entrance, with a few rocking chairs scattered around. A few guys were smoking and talking under the big neon sign that read ' _Johnny's Roadhouse_.' The whole place was giving off a yellowish glow, which Sam assumed had something to do with the desert sand. The roadhouse seemed to be standing all alone in the desert without an actual road to even back up its name. There weren't even cars here. Just a few horses tied to a post near the porch.

“Uh,” Sam blinked, still trying to understand the scenery, “Okay?”

“Okay' is right, Sammy-boy,” Gabriel said, the pet name making Sam's stomach tense with warmth, “Don't you see the sign?”

“Yeah. It says Johnny's Roadhouse. Super original,” Sam replied flatly.

“Not _that_ sign, you big blind moose,” the archangel grumbled, stepping close to Sam to point at certain spot on the saloon, “ _That_ sign.”

Sam took a closer look at the porch to see a small white sign hanging there. In dark bold ink, it read, 'Mechanical Bull Riding contest. Tonight Only. $500 prize.' Sam took a deep breath, filling his lungs with Gabriel's neighboring cotton candy scent. He felt a little hesitant about riding a mechanical bull. He might have ridden a few horses in his day, but Sam wasn't exactly John Wayne; confident enough to ride anything. But, then again, he had taken on the God of thunder in a drinking match tonight, so why shouldn't he have a little confidence? Besides, Gabriel could probably hold on longer than anyone. He was a freakin' archangel, after all.

“Well,” Sam sighed, turning to face Gabe, “I guess we can -”

Sam's sentence got lost when he beheld the archangel next to him again. Gabriel's New York City biker outfit was gone, replaced by what could only be described as 'cowboy get-up.' A freshly ironed, plaid-orange shirt tucked into a pair of rugged blue jeans. A ridiculously large belt buckle was positioned just above his crotch, plated with an emblem of a horseshoe. And of course, he had the brown cowboy boots and hat to match, along with a fake bushy blonde mustache. The trickster smirked as he drew his thumb and finger down the sides of his facial hair.

“Yep,” he nodded, “we sure can, bucko.”

Sam chuckled and Dickie tilted his head at Gabriel. Did the guy have to blend into all the scenes? Or did he just like dressing up? Sam assumed that Gabe might just have a thing for the outfits. The archangel seemed to love a fake mustache.

“I don't see what's so funny,” Gabriel said, his eyes turning sneaky under the bill of his cowboy hat, “You're wearing the same thing.”

Sam's laughter came to an abrupt halt at the sound of Gabriel snapping his fingers together. The man instantly looked down at his own clothes and realized that the archangel was right. Sam was wearing basically the same thing, now; red, plaid shirt, blue jeans, the boots, the hat, the belt buckle... Except he was also wearing a pair of leather chaps, too. Sam shifted in his strange outfit, feeling along the new fabrics. Was this really necessary? Why wasn't Gabriel wearing chaps? And why was Sam's shirt unbuttoned halfway down, exposing his chest?

Dickie gave an approving bark before running over to Sam. The dog was suddenly up on his hind legs again, humping Sam's leg with all the strength he had. Sam rolled his eyes. Oh God, not again. Was this dog's sex-drive broken or something? The man grumbled as he shook the dog back off his ankle.

“He's got the right idea,” Gabriel nodded, his mustached lips curving upward, “You make one sexy-as-hell cowboy, kid. I should put you in chaps more often.”

Sam felt an objection teetering on the edge of his mouth, but a sudden pull in his stomach was holding it back. Gabriel thought he was... sexy? Why did the sound of that make blood rush to Sam's cheeks? Why did it make him glad to know that the trickster thought he was attractive? Again, the words _Gabriel_ and _sex_ stirred together in Sam's mind and he enjoyed the tiny jolt it sent toward his own crotch. It seemed like such a nice notion...

Sam coughed himself out of his strange thoughts. Now was not the time to be letting his mind wander into foreign territory. It was time to brace himself for a mechanical bull riding contest. Sam tilted his cowboy hat up a bit to look down into Gabriel's honey eyes.

“Let's do this,” he said with set determination.

“That's my little bronco,” Gabriel chimed, giving Sam a hard pat on the back.

Dickie was still wandering around their feet as Sam and the archangel made their way into the saloon. Just like at the bar in New York, the air here was thick with the smell of alcohol and tobacco smoke. They waltzed in through the haze, making their cowboy boots clomp on the wood floor. There weren't many people here, Sam noticed, but the room was buzzing with conversation. It was a nice change of atmosphere from the bar they just came from.

The mechanical bull was placed menacingly in the middle of the room, surrounded by thick padding and a short wooden fence. And it was a little intimidating. Some of the black imitation fur had worn off the sides, giving it a battle-crazed look. The tip of one horn was broken off, and the other was incredibly sharp. The taxidermy eyes were faded and cloudy, making the machine look like an animal raised from the dead; A zombie cow, bent on revenge. Sam swallowed harshly. Geez, did all mechanical bulls look this damn scary?

“You wait right here, sweet-cheeks,” Gabriel winked, patting Sam's shoulder, “I'll go get us signed up.”

There was a strange bubbling in Sam's gut as he watched the trickster stride away toward a small table. Why did he have to call him 'sweet-cheeks'? The mention of it made Sam's eyes involuntarily fall to the denim tight around Gabriel's ass and watch how the two halves slid together as he walked. Sam was glad the archangel's shirt was tucked in, because it exposed that perfect backside, for once.

Sam blinked, making himself turn to face another direction; _any_ other direction. Why the hell was he even thinking about Gabriel's ass? It wasn't like it was sexy or anything... was it?

Sam took a few steps toward the mats on the floor around the mechanical bull and crossed his arms, trying to change his thoughts. Dickie was right by his side, staring up at him with those big puppy eyes. Sam smiled as he bent down to pet the little guy again. Sure, the dog had a weird tendency to hump Sam whenever he got the chance, but he was still a cute little son-of-a-gun.

“Hi.”

Sam's eyes flashed up to see a guy standing nervously next to him. The dude was dressed the same as most of the people here; plaid shirt and blue jeans. The Winchester instantly rose to his feet. There wasn't anyone else around, so the guy was obviously talking to him. Maybe he was just trying to make small talk before the competition. And maybe that was what Sam needed; a distraction from sex-charged thoughts of Gabriel.

“Uh, hi,” Sam repeated, putting on his best smile, “You here for the competition?”

The man seemed to be blushing as he tilted his hat up a little. Why did he appear to be so nervous?

“Eh, not really,” he answered, shoving his hands in his pockets, “I just, uh, I come here to meet new folks, you know?”

The man's admiring stare made Sam feel a little uncomfortable. Why was the guy's voice so suggestive? Why was he acting like he was trying to ask for a date or something?

And then it Sam like a ton of bricks.

He glanced around the small bar and realized that there were no women here; not a single girl in sight. Just clusters of cowboys chatting, and patting each other on the back, and making goo-goo eyes at one another. This wasn't a roadhouse, like the sign outside advertized. This was a gay bar. In the middle of Texas.

Sam swallowed harshly as he slowly turned back to face the guy attempting to flirt with him. Ever since he found out that Dean and Cas were together, the subject of homosexuality seemed less offensive to Sam. So what, if two guys wanted to be together? It didn't bother him anymore. But being hit on by a dude in a gay bar was still a little unsettling. Especially if the guy was wearing a giant belt buckle that read ' _Stud_.'

“Um,” Sam said, attempting to find words as the guy edged closer and closer to him, “Uh...”

Dickie was suddenly barking at their feet, making the fur along his back standing on end as he crouched defensively in front of Sam. Apparently, the dog didn't like anyone getting near Sam, either. The guy took a few steps back at Dickie's growls and Sam felt a flicker of a smile on his own lips as he looked down at the little dog. Man, he was gonna have to get this dog a treat or something for being so brave.

“Er, your dog's pretty protective,” the guy mentioned, still nervously stepping back.

“Yeah. He protects my property.”

A gigantic wave of relief swept over Sam at the sound of Gabriel's blessed voice. He turned to see the archangel striding over, whose honey eyes were scrutinizing the guy in front of Sam. Dickie stopped growling, but didn't move an inch. Sam watched Gabriel slow to a stop beside him, unbelievably thankful that he finally returned.

“Your property?” the guy asked, his cheeks flushing red again.

“Yep. This Angus has _my_ name branded on it,” Gabriel grinned, smacking Sam's ass, “Ain't that right, darlin'?”

Usually, Sam would have rolled his eyes at Gabriel's stupid banter and shoved him away. But this time, he welcomed the trickster's witty words and groping hand. Sam leaned even closer to the archangel and even wrapped an arm around his small shoulder. It felt oddly perfect to have Gabriel under his arm like this.

“Yeah,” Sam replied, shrugging his shoulders toward the guy in front of them, “Nice talking to you.”

The guy looked genuinely disappointed as he backed up.

“Same,” he mumbled, before walking away.

As soon as the dude was out of ear-shot, Sam released a sigh. Geez, that had been the most uncomfortable encounter he had experienced in a long time. Dickie seemed to relax too, easing out of his defensive stance to sniff around the floor.

“What a dick head,” Gabriel grumbled, looking up at Sam with a mustached smirk, “Who did that guy think he was? Trying to pick up someone else's boyfriend.”

Sam didn't mean to say it. Honestly he didn't. But the words fell out of his mouth as an automatic response -

“I'm not your boyfriend,” he blurted.

Sam instantly regretted saying it in such a blunt tone, especially when the small hint of pain flashed across Gabriel's features. Sam wanted to apologize or something, to somehow point out that it didn't offend him to be given the title of the archangel's boyfriend. But Gabriel was already shrugging it off; stepping out from under Sam's arm to shift the attention to the mechanical bull in the middle of the room.

“Welp. Show's about to start, Sammy-boy,” he said, his voice clearly trying to mask over the sting, “There's five guys ahead of you, so I guess we can enjoy the show.”

Sam felt so terrible hearing Gabriel say 'Sammy-boy' again. He had been secretly getting used to hearing it – No, he was _enjoying_ hearing it – and it made him feel so guilty. He tried his best to force the discomfort away as a voice on a loud speaker began to talk. It was a large man sitting at the table directly behind the bull and his southern drawl was unmistakable.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, even though there weren't any ladies in the room, “It's time for the bull riding contest!”

This received a few whoops and hollers, including some 'yeehaw's. The announcer continued, gesturing toward the furry centerpiece.

“Tonight's bull is a legendary beast of steel and leather. Weighing in at a staggering fifteen hundred pounds, he is the meanest, toughest, baddest, som' bitch in the great lone star state. This bull currently stands undefeated by every cow-poke that has dared to try and tame him.”

If Sam was worried before, he was definitely scared now; eying the metal beast with fear. And it seemed like the fake bull was staring right back with those foggy marble eyes. Good God, how was he ever going to accomplish this?

“The current record stands at a mere seven seconds! And the cowboy who _did_ manage it, found his way to the hospital with a broken pelvis! Folks, I'm tellin' you now, this bull is not for the faint of heart. I wish all you brave farmhands the best of luck, because you're gonna need it! I give you, El Tormento! And I promise you, his bite is worse than his bark!”

Sam's heart was pounding as he watched the first poor soul venture toward the mechanized bull. Just like at the bar, Sam felt as if he was staring defeat in the face. What if he couldn't do this? What if he ended up losing to someone else? As the first cowboy mounted the bull and tightened his grip, Sam leaned over to whisper in Gabriel's ear.

“What if we can't do this?” he asked, his lips brushing against the archangel's soft, golden hair.

Gabriel turned to give Sam a look of total bewilderment. He shook his head a little, letting the smirk grow back across his face.

“Why is it so impossible to drill into that thick caveman skull of yours, kid?” he nearly shouted over the announcer, “I'm not gonna let you get hurt.”

A tingling sensation bubbled in Sam's chest. Only from his brother, did he ever hear words like that. Sam nodded before turning his attention back to the contest. Of course he could do this. As long as Gabriel was there, Sam could do anything.

“Eddy, we wish you the best of luck,” the announcer rang out, “Three! Two! One!”

Even though the contestant's hand was locked in tight to El Tormento's rope, and though he seemed to be holding on with everything he had – the bull tossed him off like a rag doll in less than a second. Eddy went flying across the room, missing the mats and spatting on the wood floor in a heap of limbs. Sam's mouth fell open as people rushed to cater to the presumably injured man. That was the fastest defeat Sam had ever witnessed. There was no way he was going to come out of this unscathed.

The rest of the contest went in fairly the same fashion; guys running up courageously to take on the meanest bull in the south, only to be thrown clear into next week. One guy even shouted that his leg was broken from the back of the room. Two of them had to be carried to the door. The longer the competition went on, the more the knot in Sam's gut tightened. With every falling body, he tried to prepare himself for the pain; trying to brace for the worst outcome. He tried to remind himself that Gabriel wouldn't let him get hurt, though... would he?

As the last guy limped away from the bull, Sam had to steady his breathing. This was it. It was his turn now, to take on that fearsome beast. Dickie was whining at his feet, staring up at with worry as if he knew it was his turn.

“And now, folks, it's time for our last contestant. It says here that this guy single-handedly defeated the god of thunder in a drinking contest – ?” the announcer paused to look around the room, “Folks, it's not safe to drink and ride the bull.”

Sam shot a pair of narrowed eyes at Gabriel, who grinned back smugly.

“But, I guess he signed the waver, so this should be an interesting ride,” the announcer continued, “Without further ado, I present, Sam 'The Mighty Moose' Winchester. Son, I hope you know what yer doing.”

Gabriel chuckled beside Sam, obviously proud of tossing all the inside jokes into the contestant form. Sam wanted to smile too, but he was too burdened down with nerves to even think clearly. He gripped Gabriel by the arm and tugged him close to whisper in his ear again.

“Don't let me fall,” he requested, feeling queasy.

“Relax, kid,” Gabriel insisted, “you're gonna do just fine.”

Knowing that he couldn't put it off any longer, Sam hesitantly made his way to the center of the room. The bull was still glaring at him with those glassy eyes, daring him to climb on board. Everyone was clapping for Sam as he forced himself up on the metal bull. It felt strangely warm between his thighs as he tightened his legs around it as best he could. Sam hooked his hand around the worn rope at the bull's neck, gripping it tight. Oh, boy. This was going to suck.

Sam took the time to glance over at the archangel near the mats. Gabriel looked just as happy as ever; wearing that ridiculous cowboy mustache. The trickster gave a slight nod, as if saying ' _It'll be okay, Sammy_ ,' and raised his hand a little. At this motion, Sam felt his legs lock into place. He wiggled around, but couldn't move his lower. The man gasped a little in the archangel's hold – realizing that Gabriel was going to make sure Sam won this by holding him to the bull...

“Three! Two! One! Ride 'em cowboy!” the announcer yelled.

Sam was instantly flung forward, making him bonk his head between the bull's horns, before being snapped backward. The room blurred around him as he was violently tossed around. But, as fierce as the movements were, Sam wasn't budging. It was like his ass was glued to the bull; legs strapped to both sides. His top half was flying around like crazy, his hand barely hanging onto the rope. With each forward motion, his nuts were crunched against the unforgiving metal. How many seconds had he been on this thing?! He had beaten the other guys by long shot now, hadn't he?! He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

“ _G – Gabriel!_ ” Sam hissed, just loud enough for the archangel to hear.

The grip on Sam's legs was instantly released – and he was then flung off the bull; launched through the air like a doll. Sam closed his eyes, preparing to meet a table or a wall face first. But, in midair, he felt himself turning. His feet were the first things to hit the ground. He opened his eyes as he stumbled to his knees, shocked that he actually landed on his feet. The crowd seemed just as surprised, staring at him with golf-ball-sized eyes in utter silence. The whole bar was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

But, from the back of the room, a distinct pair of hands started to clap. Sam looked through the haze of smoke to see Gabriel bringing his hands together, still grinning like an idiot. The bar instantly roared to life with clapping and howls of astonishment. Some of the guys even waved their cowboy hats. Sam watched Gabriel wade through the cowboys toward him, feeling all kinds of emotions attempting to settle into his chest.

“See, Sammy-boy?” he said over the crowd, once he was close enough, “I'd never let you fall.”

Sam gulped, feeling shaky on his feet. Gabriel's words only added to the already weird sensation in his chest. His head was throbbing and his balls were killing him, but his heart felt so warm. What was it about Gabriel that made him this way?

“There you have it, folks!” the announcer said, “Tonight's winner, with a whopping _fifteen seconds_ , is Sam 'The Mighty Moose' Winchester! Come up and collect your prize money, son!”

Sam was suddenly stumbling along with Gabriel as the archangel tugged him toward the announce table. Everyone gave their praises as he walked passed, still in awe of his performance. Sam only smiled and waved, still a bit shaken up from the ride and, to be honest, still trying to figure out why his insides were so damn warm. Gabriel offered Sam up to the table, where the announcer handed him a wad of cash.

“You done good, Mighty Moose,” he grinned, his puffy cheeks causing his eyes to squint, “The best damn display of bull-ridin' I've ever seen. Come back real soon.”

Sam nodded, though he wasn't fully comprehending the words. He found himself wanting to keep glancing at Gabriel and feeling that tingle the trickster gave his gut. After the money was in hand, Gabriel tipped his hat toward the man and shoved Sam toward the door. Dickie followed along at their feet, barking at all the activity. Sam stumbled along again as Gabe chuckled.

“Boy, I swear you know how to work a crowd like nobody else,” he mused, “You must have picked a few things up from me.”

“You didn't let me fall,” Sam mumbled, unable to stop himself.

The two of them were standing outside in the dark now, with Dickie still wandering around them. It was quieter here and Sam's words seemed to echo toward the desert. Gabriel looked up at him with his signature golden eyes, appearing a little lost.

“Well, yeah,” he nodded, “I told you I wouldn't. What? Don't think I can tell the truth or something?”

Sam didn't know exactly what to say. Maybe that _was_ the case. Maybe Sam somehow forced himself to believe that Gabriel was just a liar and trickster, never honest or sincere. But he was. Sam was slowly starting to realize that Gabriel was the most open and honest person he had ever met. As he thought this, the sting returned to Sam's balls.

“Ugh,” he groaned, wincing as he reached down to cup himself, “You crushed my nuts in there.”

“Did I?” Gabriel said, his eyes widening instantly, “Lemme fix that.”

Before Sam could brace for impact, the archangel suddenly had a handful of the man's crotch. Sam gasped, expecting blinding pain to accompany the tight grip – but instead, his scrotum actually started to feel better. He looked down to watch Gabriel's hand glowing around the crotch of his jeans. After a moment, the trickster let go and smirked.

“All better,” he shrugged.

Sam blinked, unsure of what he was feeling. Was it discomfort? No. Was it embarrassment? Maybe. Or maybe it was somewhere between weirded-out... and turned on. The man shifted on his feet and watched Gabriel count the money in his hand.

“Seven hundred and eighty bucks,” he said, waving it around a little, “Just a few hundred more and we'll have things all patched up, kiddo.”

An uneasiness settled in Sam's stomach again. They were that close to having the money already? But the night was just getting started, wasn't it? He and Gabriel were having so much fun, Sam hadn't realized how close it was to being over. The archangel leaned closer to capture Sam's stare and a softer smile rested on his mustached lips.

“How about a trip to Sin City, Sammy-Boy?” he purred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love when Gabriel puts Sam into awkward situations, especially when he comes to the rescue at the end. Don't you? ;) I know that Dean rode a mechanical bull in canon recently - which was a gift from Chuck himself - but I think it's safe to say that Sam's experience in this chapter was not as fun as his brothers'. (Poor Sammy. He always gets the short stick.) Too bad Dean's didn't take place in a gay bar, right? ;) I hope this story is making you guys laugh! Or at least smile. ;) Thank you so much for reading and commenting! The next chapter - which has a certain strip scene - will be out soon! :) <3


	5. Chapter 5

The playful way Gabriel purred the term 'Sin City' made Sam's stomach tense up. Las Vegas? With the _trickster_? The notion seemed terrifying as hell; waltzing around the strip with the most mischievous angel from the whole of heaven's garrisons. Sam could picture it now – his own face plastered on wanted posters as far as the eye could see, ending up on the roof of some random hotel with a fierce hangover and the half-naked archangel lay passed out next to him. The amount of trouble they could get into was boundless. The number of casinos they could get tossed out of was limitless... But Sam had to admit that it sounded pretty damn entertaining.

“You – you mean Vegas?” Sam said, making sure he heard it correctly.

“Well, I ain't talking about Detroit,” he smirked, “Are you in or what, Samsquatch? We only lack about two hundred and twenty bucks.”

The excitement that had been growing in Sam dimmed a bit at the mention of their total. It made him feel terrible to know that they were so close to being done. So close to departing from each other. Why did the thought of it make Sam feel this upset? His stomach was aching, almost grumbling. One of his hands fell to press against his abdomen in an effort to stop the discomfort. Wait, this wasn't just nausea from his emotions. It was something else.

“Geez,” Sam mumbled under his breath, feeling the acid stirring in his gut, “I think I'm hungry.”

“Hungry?” Gabriel repeated, his eyes lighting up again, “I know just the thing to stuff in that giant cake hole of yours.”

Sam rolled his eyes again. Before he could comment on the archangel's dirty statement, Gabriel took hold of his arm and they were whooshed away again; flown to a new location without so much as a warning. By the time Sam fully braced for the flight, they were already standing in a new place. The breath that had caught in Sam's throat released as a sigh. Why couldn't Gabriel just give some notice before he swept him away?

“Please stop doing that,” Sam requested, feeling woozy, “You're gonna give me whiplash.”

But the trickster wasn't listening. He was walking away, striding toward a tree while Dickie trotted happily by his side. Sam took the time to glance around and see where the hell they were now. He was expecting to see the big, flashing neon lights and majestic water fountains of the Vegas strip towering around him. But they weren't.

The night sky was still above them, though the constellations here were different from Texas. The quarter moon was shining down on the woodsy area he was standing in, casting a soft white glow on the green leaves and grass. A tiny house stood a little ways off; a few of the windows lit with smoke rolling from the chimney. And it was peacefully quiet, with only the sound of crickets and a babbling stream of water to fill the silence. Though it was difficult to tell for sure, this place felt like someone's backyard; secluded from pesky neighbors and city life. Why did Gabriel bring him here?

Sam edged along the path Gabriel walked in, still glancing around. Their cowboy garb was gone now, replaced with their usual attire. Sam was glad to be out of that stupid cowboy hat, but he was still aching. His stomach grumbled loudly under his hand, begging for any kind of sustenance. The alcohol Sam drank earlier was apparently working against him. The archangel paused under the darkened canopy of the large tree and turned to face Sam.

“You know, some people think that Georgia has the best peaches,” he smirked.

Gabriel paused to pound a hard fist against the bark of the tree. The whole thing shuddered at his blow, the limbs quaking and leaves rattling. The grin was still on his lips as he held an open hand out, and a single peach fell perfectly into his palm.

“But it's actually South Carolina,” the archangel concluded.

Sam could feel a smirk on his own lips as he watched Gabriel strut toward him. Sam knew what the trickster was doing. Gabriel was _showing off_. Not in the 'power-play' kind of way, just to show dominance and flaunt his angelic gifts. No, he was trying to be _impressive_. He was trying his best to appear attractive. Sam knew it because he, himself, did this very thing plenty of times when trying to pick up girls. Was that what Gabriel was doing? Was he trying to pick up Sam?

Gabriel offered the golden peach toward the man and his amber eyes twinkled in the moonlight. Sam was biting down on his bottom lip as he reached out to take the fruit. He made sure to deliberately brush his fingers over Gabriel's, to let his fingertips linger against the back of Gabe's hand. If the trickster wanted to flirt, then Sam was going to give it right back to him. Two could play at this game. They both stared at each other for a moment like this, both grinning and holding a peach.

“Really?” Sam mumbled, carefully tugging the fruit out of the archangel's grasp, “And you know this because...?”

“Because I've tried them all. And Mr. Thompson over there,” Gabriel said, casually waving toward the house a few yards away, “wins all the county fairs with these things. He lost his leg in Vietnam, you know. Blew the whole thing clean off. Now, he... wears...a fake...”

As Gabriel rambled on about a complete stranger, Sam tried his best to break the peach open in a sexy way. He delicately dug his thumbs into one side and split the fruit apart as carefully as he could. Sure, Sam was hungry as hell, but he wanted to flirt even more. And it was apparent that Gabriel was picking up these subtle hints. The archangel's sentence trailed off as Sam raised the sweet smelling fruit to his lips. Sammy paused to eye his expression because Gabriel seemed to be waiting, watching to see Sam take his first bite.

Both of them flinched out of their intense stare at Dickie's sudden barking. Sam and the archangel both looked down at the small dog next to them. It seemed as though Dickie felt left out, quietly whining and pawing at Gabriel's feet like he wanted attention. His large puppy eyes glanced between Sam and Gabe, wanting to be included.

“What?” Gabriel grumbled, “Can't you see I'm playing with the big dumb moose, here?”

Dickie's tail started to wave back and forth as he replied to the archangel with another bark

“Fine,” Gabriel sighed, bending down to grab a stick off the ground, “You want it? Go get it.”

Gabriel flung the stick toward the side of the house and the small dog instantly chased after it, running as fast as his little legs could carry him. Sam smiled at the sight as he finally bit off the first piece of peach. His stomach was instantly grateful, gurgling with satisfaction. The taste was so relieving. It made him wonder -

“Hey, how did you know that I like peaches?” Sam asked, taking a larger bite.

The archangel smirked in the semi-darkness as he reached up to Sam's face. He plucked the fruit out of Sam's hand and brought it to his own mouth. Sam watched the guy turn the peach in his palm; positioning the part Sam had already eaten from against his own lips.

“There isn't much I _don't_ know about you, my little fruitcake,” he grinned.

Sam's smile widened as he watched Gabriel take a bite out of his peach. He had to admit that Gabriel was good at this; at making Sam feel warm and ticklish. Just watching him nibble on the same peach was making those two words blend together in his head again – _Gabriel_ and _sex_. For a moment, Sam actually eyed the trickster's thin wet lips. Oh man, what did they taste like? Did that mouth kiss as well as it spoke? Gabriel seemed like he would be just as eager to try...

“Hey! Get back here!”

Sam and Gabriel both turned to look back at the house, where the distant elderly voice called from. The first thing that caught Sam's attention was Dickie. The tiny dog was prancing back toward them, but he wasn't carrying the stick – he was carrying something huge in his mouth. At first, Sam thought it was a giant branch because the long ends jutted out from either side of his small frame. But the closer he got, the better Sam could see what was really in the dog's mouth. And it almost made him gasp.

“Is that... a leg?!” Sam asked in horror.

“Oh shit,” Gabriel uttered, “That's old man Thompson's fake leg! Dickie! Dickie, no!”

“Get back here, you little mutt!” the old man called distantly, appearing to be hobbling off his porch.

The archangel instantly lunged for the dog, ripping the prosthetic leg out of his mouth. Gabriel glanced back at Sam with a strange look, as if saying ' _what the hell are we going to do with this thing?_ ' before shrugging and tossing it on the ground. He snatched the dog up into his arms when loud bangs suddenly cut across the yard. Sam gasped and ducked down, realizing that the old man was shooting at them. Gabriel dashed back toward Sam, holding the dog like a football in the bend of his arm.

“What the hell is wrong with your dog?! Why is he so obsessed with legs?!” Sam hissed, crouching low to the ground.

Another shot rang out before Gabriel answered.

“I don't know! I'll get him checked, okay?!” he replied, “Let's just get out of here.”

Sam nodded in total agreement of getting away from the gunshots. The archangel reached out with his free hand to clutch a handful of Sam's shoulder. And with a single blink, they were somewhere else. Sam panted a little as he looked around. He and Gabriel were still crouching to the ground and Dickie was still in Gabe's arm, but it appeared as though they had just popped up behind a few speakers. Sam raised up a bit to study his whereabouts. People were bustling around behind a thick red curtain – lots of men, only half dressed. Loud music was playing, too. Very _sensual_ music. Were they backstage at a concert or something?

“Hey,” Sam shouted to Gabriel over the loud music, “I thought you said we were going to Vegas.”

“This _is_ Vegas,” Gabriel nodded, climbing to his feet.

Sam copied him, using the giant speaker to help get to his feet. They were in Vegas? But where? At a show or something? Sam was expecting to crash a few casinos with the trickster; not steal money from a Vegas show.

“But where are we?” Sam asked again, having to lean close to the archangel, “Is this a show?”

Gabriel laughed, making his golden eyes shine and sparkle. He shifted the dog in his arms to lean even closer to Sam.

“You could call it that,” he nodded, “Say, Sammy-boy, how bad do you want that necklace back?”

Sam swallowed, still tasting peach in his mouth. Honestly, he was caring less and less about the necklace as the night went on. Saving the little girl still mattered, but getting the necklace for himself wasn't why he was still doing all the crazy shit with Gabriel. He was doing the crazy shit _to be_ with Gabriel. Because Sam had come to realize that the trickster made him happy, with all that stupid banter and witty flirtatiousness.

“Uh, I don't know,” Sam managed to answer, “Why?”

The current song drew to a close at the end of Sam's sentence and their conversation stopped as an applause started beyond the curtain. The red fabric to their right briefly opened and a man stepped his way backstage. The blood drained from Sam's face as he looked down to see that the guy was only wearing one thing... A thong.

Realization landed on Sam like an anvil. This wasn't a stage at a show. It was a stage at a strip club. When Sam turned his horrified stare to Gabriel, the trickster's smirk spread fiercely across his face.

“Are we at _Chippendales_?!” Sam gasped.

Instead of answering him, Gabriel snapped his fingers together – and a sudden breeze rushed over most of Sam's body. The man looked down to see that nearly all of his clothes were gone, save a weird leather fabric over his crotch. It looked like something a cave man would wear; brown and jagged. Sam tried to cover up a little as a few people walked passed. There could only be one reason that they were here and Sam was dressed this way. Gabriel wanted him to dance for money.

“No!” Sam said, his heart rate climbing with fear, “No, I'm not gonna -”

“Tarzan.”

Sam and Gabriel both looked toward a lady by the curtain. She appeared to be the coordinator, wearing a headphone and holding a clipboard. She gestured toward Sam.

“Get over here. This is your slot,” she demanded.

“You heard the woman,” Gabe grinned, pushing Sam's shoulder, “Knock 'em dead, Tarzan!”

With Gabriel's hard shove, Sam was suddenly standing on the middle of the stage. A bright light was glaring down on him, but he could still see the giant crowd of women through the haze. Every eye in the audience was on him, staring right at his nearly-naked body. Sweat instantly began to collect on Sam's forehead. He had literally become an act at Chippendales. What the hell was he doing here?!

Music began to play among the giant room. It was sensual like before, accompanied by Tarzan-like howls and jungle noises. The sea of women were clapping with the music and encouraging Sam to start dancing – but he couldn't. The Winchester was frozen with fear, paralyzed with stage fright. He could hear his own heart pounding against his eardrums. He forgot what he was here to do. Hell, he forgot what his own name was, lost in the swelter of pure terror taking him over. All he could do was blink around at all the hungry batting eyes and listen to the music.

As time seemed to stretch on, some of the audience began to get rowdy. One lady shouted ' _shake it for us, ape-man_ ,' to which Sam's eyebrows drew together. Ape-man? Sam had gotten so used to hearing 'moose,' that 'ape-man' sounded completely off. Again, he felt like he shouldn't be here, standing in a loincloth in front of hundreds of eyes. But he couldn't feel his legs to move. He was still frozen, struggling to remember how to walk so he could flee.

'Boo's eventually started echoing up to the stage and they made Sam feel even worse. Why did the trickster put him here? Did Gabriel put him here just to see him in a loincloth, or to humiliate him in front of tons of people? Before Sam could get too wrapped up in 'why's, a hand was suddenly on his shoulder. He was yanked back, forced to stumble behind the curtain as the Tarzan music came to a halt.

Sam was panting and his hands were shaking, as he realized he was facing Gabriel again. He suddenly felt safe again in the archangel's stare.

“Wh – what the hell!” Sam suddenly shouted, “Why did you do that?!”

“I'm sorry,” Gabriel said, appearing genuinely apologetic, “I thought you'd be able to shake your ass a little and get some money. I didn't know you'd freeze up like a moose in the headlights! Here,”

Gabriel gathered the dog in his arms to hold out to Sam. Though his hands were still shaking, Sam took the archangel's dog.

“Hold my Dickie,” Gabriel winked, shrugging out of his jacket, “I've got your back, Sammy-boy.”

Sam didn't have time to ask the archangel what he was doing, because he was suddenly gone from the space. Sam searched around the backstage for Gabe's golden hair and amber eyes to no avail. But the crowd beyond the curtain was suddenly going nuts. Sam stepped over and peered beyond the red fabric to see what all the fuss was about.

Gabriel was standing on stage in the spotlight, suddenly decked out in a fur coat, top hat, and some kind of strange underwear. He was also holding a cane – a giant _candy_ cane. Dickie wiggled around in Sam's arms as the man looked closer at Gabe's outfit. It looked like the entire thing was made out of candy; pink cotton candy coat, marshmallow top hat and – was that a thong made out of gummy bears?!

The archangel leaned close to whisper to a microphone on the middle of the stage.

“I'd like dedicate this performance to my lovely little peach,” Gabriel smirked, turning to shoot a glance in Sam's direction, “You know who you are.”

Sam could feel the heat rising on his cheeks. He was glad no one else knew that the trickster was referring to him, but it made him secretly glad to know he was the one Gabe was talking about. The room got quiet for a moment as Gabriel took a step back and lowered his marshmallow top hat. Sam eyed him from a distance, still wondering why he was dressed in all candy. But it all became clear once the song started playing.

_Who can take a sunrise... Sprinkle it with dew..._

The crowd roared to life, instantly cheering as Gabriel began to prance around the stage in his candy get up. Sam actually smiled a little at the archangel's overzealous energy. He never knew that Gabe was such a good dancer. Where did he learn to cut a rug like this? The archangel tossed away his candy cane and danced around with his marshmallow hat for a moment; shaking it around as he high-stepped across the stage.

_Cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two... The candyman..._

Sam watched Gabriel toss the hat away to a lady in the front row and start to slowly shimmy out of his cotton candy coat to the beat of the song. Handfuls of money were suddenly floating in the air toward Gabriel as he shed is candy coat. Sam's jaw fell open at the sheer amount of cash peppering the archangel. It was a ton of money, but Sam had to admit that every bit of it was well earned. Gabe wasn't just giving them a strip tease, he was going all out; tossing in bits of tap dancing and showboating.

_Oh, the candyman can..._

The crowd seemed to adore the archangel strutting on the stage. They went crazy when he flung his cotton candy coat away. Gabriel was suddenly standing in nothing but his gummy bear thong – and, of course, Sam's eyes couldn't resist traveling all over him. He could finally see the archangel's ass – the same ass he had been eying in those blue jeans at the bull riding contest – and he wasn't disappointed. How was it possible for an ass to look so perfect? So full, and round, and strangely _sexy_ with a piece of candy lodged between the cheeks? Sam gulped and forced himself to look back up at Gabriel's face. It wasn't possible. He couldn't be feeling this way toward Gabriel... Could he?

_The candyman can, 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good..._

As Gabriel continued to parade around the stage with money flying all around him, Sam could feel something warm spreading in his chest. All night, he had been thinking about the words _Gabriel_ and _Sex_ stirring together in his mind. But now, a new word was being added to the mix; a word mentioned in the song that Sam had never noticed before, until he heard it while staring at Gabriel.

Love.

Maybe that was why Sam couldn't stop smiling at the trickster, even though his jokes were terrible. Maybe that the reason he enjoyed hanging out with him so much and being called all those stupid nicknames. Maybe that was why he even agreed to come along on this crazy ride anyway. Because maybe, deep down in a place that Sam kept hidden away from the world... he truly loved Gabriel.

A smile flashed brighter on Sam's lips as he watched the archangel reach toward his fans' outstretched hands. Sam could understand why the crowd loved him so much. He was just so damn lovable. An unbearable pain in the ass sometimes, yes. But still a lovable little dork. The female coordinator edged close to Sam backstage in order to peer out of the curtain with him. Sam stepped out of her way so she could see the stage and he was glad that she was smiling.

“Your boyfriend is pretty talented,” she mumbled to Sam over the song.

That warm feeling returned to Sam's gut at the woman's kind words. He felt like a kid all of the sudden, like a bashful teenager with a crush. His eyes travel back out to watch Gabriel take a bow.

“Yeah,” Sam smiled quietly, “He is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, the nickname 'Peach' begins. ;) Poor old man Thompson. I think Gabe should replace his wooden leg with a better prosthetic for all his trouble. (Thanks, Dickie.) lol. ;) The song Gabriel stripped to in this chapter was "The Candyman" by Sammy Davis Jr, just in case you were wondering. (And I'll warn you now, if you head over to youtube and listen to it, it WILL get stuck in your head. For several hours.) lol ;) I really hope you guys are enjoying this fic so far! Thank you so much for keeping up with it and reading everyday. you guys are the best! *hugs and kisses* The next chapter will be out soon! :) <3


	6. Chapter 6

Dickie was barking wildly in Sam's arm when Gabriel bowed his way back behind the curtain. Unbelievably, money was still being tossed at the mostly-naked archangel – and they weren't just singles. Ten and twenties were flying at him, too. Sam's eyes were still glued to Gabriel as the guy laughed and bent down to scrape up the cash.

Sam couldn't understand why he was feeling so light all of the sudden. It felt like he had been catapulted to the top of a sugar rush. His veins were flowing with adrenaline and his heart was beating fast. As he eye-balled the archangel's bare chest and face, Sammy felt like dashing over and hugging him; like burying his face in Gabriel's sweet-smelling hair and clinging to his tiny frame. But as much as his heart wanted it, his body just wouldn't move. Sam stood there with his sight fixed on Gabriel while he struggled to hold the small dog in his arms, secretly wishing he could hug him.

“Phew,” the archangel smirked, his forehead glistening with sweat as he stepped back over to Sam, “I think I pulled a hamstring out there.”

Sam's voice was caught in his throat for a second. Man, he had never felt anything like this before. It felt like something was trying to fight its way out of him, like he wanted to do something about this weird warmth that was radiating from his chest. But he held it back. Sam didn't want to come off as creepy. Especially right now, while Gabriel was standing nearly buck-ass naked in front of him. So instead, Sam blurted the second thing that came to mind.

“But angels can't pull muscles,” he pointed out, still trying to contain Dickie in his arms.

“Aww.”

Sam and Gabe both looked to the side, where the show coordinator was standing close by. She glanced between them and smiled, hugging her clipboard. Sammy gulped under her admiring stare, realizing why she found his words to be so adorable. He forgot that he was the only person here that knew Gabriel was an archangel. Therefore, what Sam just said sounded like a total pick-up line. The trickster's grin seemed to grow even more as the Winchester's cheeks flushed.

“That's sweet,” she added, turning to walk away, “You guys come back real soon. Hey! Mike! You're up.”

As the coordinator ushered the next dancer to the stage, Sam turned his attention back to the sweaty archangel in front of him. Gabriel's eyebrows bounced a little as he nudged Sam's bicep.

“Hear that, Sammy-Boy? We've got a free pass to come back and screw around for more cash,” he said, trying to straighten the bills in his hands, “but it doesn't look like we need anymore tonight.”

Sam's heart took a sudden swan dive. All of his excitement and happiness was sent plummeting toward devastation. Oh, no. They'd made all the money, already? That meant it was time to go back and make the exchange for the stupid necklace... and then say goodbye. For a moment, Sam just stood there with his mouth slightly agape, feeling numb. He didn't want it to be over. This awesome night with the trickster – he didn't want it to end.

“Holy shit,” Gabriel exclaimed, briefly distracting Sam from his disappointment, “We're sixty bucks over the thousand mark, kid. Looks like you'll be going home with some pocket-money, too. Ready to go meet up with the girl scout from hell?”

Sam tried his best to hide his remorse. He tried to remind himself that even though Gabriel might have flirted with him tonight, it didn't mean he was attempting to actually get with Sam. Because Gabe was the trickster; sworn to deceive people and twist their emotions. Maybe Sam had taken things the wrong way. Maybe he was just fooling himself into believing that Gabriel actually wanted him. Gabriel was just being himself tonight. He wasn't asking for a damn date, right? As much as Sam had grown to adore the archangel, maybe it just didn't go both ways.

Some large blockage felt like it was forming in Sam's throat. The man coughed a little as he shifted Dickie in his bare arms. The dog seemed to be staring up at him now, his large puppy eyes studying him and tail slowing to a stop. Obviously, Dickie could sense the change in Sam's mood. But Sam put on the best smile he could muster for Gabe and Dickie, trying not to let his pain shine through.

“Uh, yeah,” Sam lied, still struggling to swallow that hard lump in his throat.

Gabriel paused to look Sam over for a second, his golden eyes touching the whole length of him. Sam tried not to let his own sight fall to the archangel's nearly naked body again. The last thing he needed was to tease himself some more with Gabe's glistening chest and tight ass cheeks. The trickster appeared to shake off what ever he was thinking about.

“Alright,” he shrugged, “let's wrap this bitch up, then.”

Sam took a short breath as Gabriel reached out to clutch his arm again. He savored the feeling of the archangel's warm hand on his bare skin. Why did Gabriel have to have such soft damn hands? Again, just like most of the night, all Sam had to do was blink and they were standing in a different place once more. This location wasn't as dark as some of the places they'd been – because the sun was coming up here.

Sam glanced around the space as he clung to Dickie's warm furry body. There was a diner, and a post office, and a police station... Sam had been here before. This was the same street that mimicked the heart of middle America. The arcade was just across the street and the Impala was parked directly at Sam's back. The man turned to look down at her shiny black paint and his distorted reflection stared back up at him, showing him his own messy hair and weary eyes. Sammy blinked away from his own face to look up at Gabriel.

Thankfully, their clothes had returned when they arrived here. Gabriel was wearing his jeans and jacket again, with his golden hair all flared out and his honey eyes beaming. The amber hues looked rather beautiful in the long stretches of morning sun rays, almost glowing like warm candles. Sam realized that this was the best thing he had seen on Gabriel the whole time they had been together – the morning light gracing his smiling face while he leaned casually against the Impala.

“What's wrong with you, kiddo?” Gabriel seemed to ask more quietly, “Did someone steal your porn stash or something? If your face was any longer, I'd have to start calling you 'Horse' instead of 'Moose.”

Sam cleared his throat again and held Dickie a little tighter. Was his pain really that noticeable?

“Uh, nothing. Just tired I guess,” Sam lied again.

Gabriel was still eye-balling Sam as he pulled out the gigantic wad of cash.

“Well then, my sweet little peach,” he began, holding the money toward Sam, “Here's the cash for your dirty deal. I think the cookie monster is waiting for you over there.”

Sam glanced back to see that the little blonde girl was, indeed, standing by a light pole on the other side of the street. She was staring at them from afar with her tiny hands stuffed in her pockets. She seemed impatient, standing on the tips of her toes and biting her bottom lip. Sam took a deep breath. He did not feel ready to deal with her again. But he turned back to quickly take hold of the money in Gabriel's hand. He met the archangel's stunning eyes again, this time with seriousness.

“Don't leave yet,” he requested, feeling nauseous at the thought, “I'll – I'll be right back.”

Gabriel nodded and nestled back against the Impala.

“Well, duh,” he smirked, “Gotta make sure you don't screw up the money drop.”

Sam was relieved to hear that Gabriel was staying for a little longer. Why did it feel like Gabriel was just going to disappear in a puff of smoke? As he carefully made his way across the street, Sam kept glancing back at the archangel leaning on the car. Dickie was still in the man's arms, still wiggling a little in his grasp. The dog gave a few barks at the little girl as Sam stepped up to her. Once close enough, she smiled and reached a hand out to pet him. Sam half expected Dickie to bite her, but he didn't. The dog just nuzzled in closer to her palm.

“Cute doggie,” she commented, tightening her coat around herself as she looked up at Sam, “Do you have the cash?”

Sam glared down at her smug little face.

“Do you have the necklace?” Sam asked in the same flat tone she used.

The little girl rolled her eyes but reached inside her shirt to tug the candy necklace out into the open and pulled it up over her head. Sam scanned the dangling chain instantly, making sure it was still as full as the first time he saw it. Luckily, all the candies seemed to be intact.

“I kept my word, dirt-bag,” she said, narrowing her eyes, “Now, hand over the money.”

Sam held up the wad of cash, but pulled it out of her reach to set his own narrowed eyes on hers.

“Same time,” he demanded, “on the count of three. One. Two... Three.”

The little girl thrust the necklace into one of Sam's hands and grabbed the money out of his other. Sam gripped the necklace tight, fearing she might try to take it back, but she didn't. She was too busy flipping through the green paper in her hands to even care about the candy. Sam sighed with relief as he looked down at the necklace. At least the angelic drugs were out of her hands now.

“Hmm. Looks like it's all here,” she smiled, “Pleasure doing business with you, dork-face. Tell your boyfriend I said hi.”

Sam's stomach tensed again at the mention of the word 'boyfriend.' He didn't get the chance to comment on it this time because the girl scout was already skipping away, headed toward the street corner to join a group of other children. Sam watched the pigtails bounce away for a moment before turning to face the other side of the street. Gabriel was still leaning on the car with his arms crossed and a small smirk hinted on his face. Sam smiled a bit at the sight of the archangel as he dashed back across the road, glad that he stayed.

“The cookie monster says hi,” Sam sighed, holding up the candy necklace.

Gabriel's smile widened only a tiny bit as he reached up to flick the bottom of the beaded chain. The necklace swayed back and forth between them invitingly. Watching the moving candy reminded Sam that they were somehow 'sexed-up.' These colorful candies had angelic power to them... and they were dangling between Sam and Gabe like an open invitation.

“Hey, uh, Sammy-Boy?”

Sam's eyes snapped up to Gabriel's face at the sound of his low voice. There had been a certain distress hidden in Gabe's tone. The trickster's face had even changed a little. His smile was gone and his eyes looked open, extremely sincere as they bore into Sam's. Why did Gabe seem so serious all of the sudden?

“What?” Sam asked.

Dickie gave a single soft whine, sounding worried about his owner. Gabriel himself sighed a bit as he glanced around bashfully.

“I – I know you're not a priest or anything... but I've got a confession to make,” he stated.

Sam blinked down at Gabriel's honey eyes, feeling a little confused. What kind of confession could an archangel possibly have to make? And to _Sam_ , of all people? The man didn't think it was possible for the trickster to appear so painfully honest. And it seemed like whatever Gabe was going to say might actually be hurtful. Oh, god. Sam didn't think he could take anymore distress right now...

“What is it?” Sam asked, internally bracing for anything.

After a short pause, Gabriel slowly brought his eyes back to Sam's. He flicked the candy necklace again before finally spitting it out.

“There's nothing special about this candy,” he mumbled, the corners of his mouth turning downward, “I – I just told you that so you'd come along me... because I wanted to hang out with you.”

The strangest feeling seemed to bloom in the depth's of Sam's soul after hearing the trickster's words. As he stood staring at Gabriel's guilty eyes, Sam could feel the smile growing back across his own face. All that giggly happiness from before seemed to be returning with full force.

The archangel lied just to hang out with him? Gabriel actually _wanted_ to spend time with Sam? All of Sam's earlier thoughts about Gabriel not feeling the same way seemed to shatter in his head. Gabriel _did_ like Sam in the same way Sam liked him. His flirting had been _real_. All those cheeky dick jokes and shoulder pushes and crotch gropes – they actually _meant_ something. Sam had been reading him correctly all along.

Gabriel's biggest trick of the night had been no trick at all.

“So,” Gabriel sighed, hanging his head and looking up at Sam through his eyelashes, “just give it to me straight, kid. How much do you hate me, Sammy-boy?”

Sam could feel that emotion raging inside him again; the one demanding to be exposed. There was no way he could deny this feeling anymore. It was pulsing through him like liquid fire, fueling the excitement in his gut. There was only one way to satisfy this coursing urge.

The Winchester carefully let Dickie slip from his hands, leaning down to place the dog on the ground. Sam kept his eyes locked with Gabriel's as he slowly stepped forward, carefully closing the small gap between them. The candy necklace was still wrapped around Sam's large fingers and they clinked against the metal as he braced his hand on the Impala beside Gabriel. The archangel was watching him inch closer, his amber eyes growing with surprise as Sam leaned farther in. Gabe's intoxicating sweet scent was filling Sam's lungs when he tilted his head down to finally capture the trickster's moist lips.

The taste was just how Sam had imagined. He parted his lips against Gabriel's and he could actually taste a hint of cotton candy, mixed with peach. A small sigh escaped Sam's nose as his free hand shot up to cradle the back of the archangel's soft head, letting his fingers tangle in the silk strands of his golden hair. Gabriel seemed just as eager to kiss, grabbing handfuls of Sam's shirt and yanking him closer while he opened his own lips. Sam could feel the archangel's body heat through all the layers of fabric. Oh man, Sam had never shared in a kiss like this; one in which he clung to someone so fiercely and never wanted it to end. Maybe _this_ was what he had been wanting to do all night. Just kiss the damn bastard.

Dickie began to bark at their feet, but then Sam felt Gabriel quickly shift. Apparently, the archangel had given Dickie a small kick because the dog yelped the tiniest bit before shutting up. Sam smiled inside their kiss and tightened his hand in the archangel's hair. It seemed that Gabriel didn't want to stop kissing either...

A loud motor slowly approaching behind Sam and Gabe while they stood tonguing each other by the Impala. It sounded like a large truck or something slowing to a stop across the street. Though Sam tried his best to stay fully enveloped in his kiss, the sounds of small children drew his attention away. He slowly broke his lips away from Gabriel's to turn and see why they seemed to be shouting.

The school bus had stopped at the corner and numerous children had lowered their windows to stick their heads out. They were making faces of disgust toward Sam and Gabriel and shouting things like, ' _Ew, that's gross_ ,' and ' _Get a room,_ ' and singing the ' _Those two guys are sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G_.' Blood rushed to Sam's face. Geez, could he do anything without being victimized by small children?! Apparently, it was getting under Gabriel's skin too, because he sighed with aggravation at their taunts.

“Ah, go stuff it in your lockers, you little brats,” he groaned, waving a dismissing hand in the bus's direction.

When Sam turned back to hide his face, he heard the distinct snap of Gabriel's fingers. The man instantly looked back around, worried that the archangel had turned the bus into a giant Twinkie or something. But the two of them had just flown somewhere new. They were on the side of the road now, in a place were the sun was still just coming up. Sam was still hovering over Gabriel with his right hand braced against the impala and his left still tangled in Gabe's golden hair. Sam brought his eyes back to the trickster, who was already staring up at him with a smirk.

“I gotta tell you, cupcake, I honestly didn't think you'd be so... forgiving,” Gabriel purred, craning his neck.

Sam could taste the archangel's sweet breath. Their mouths were dangerously close to touching again, only needing less than a centimeter to meet. Sam's heart was pounding as he searched Gabriel's face.

“Well, you're pretty persuasive,” Sam replied, pausing to glance around again, “Where are we, now?”

Gabriel took a deep breath before backing away. He gently tugged himself out of Sam's grasp and bent down to pick up Dickie. There was a tint of sadness in his expression when he raised back up with the dog in his arms.

“Back where we started,” he answered, “This is where I picked you up, kiddo.”

Sam glanced along the road, realizing that this was the spot in which he swerved to miss the tow truck. Bobby's house was nearby, just up the road somewhere. Though Sam was glad he was in a place he sort of knew, the ache of sadness was trying to crawl its way back into his chest as he looked back to Gabriel. The archangel was lingering at the hood of the Impala, but there was definitely a flighty look about him. He was trying to prepare himself to bolt.

“You – you don't have to go,” Sam offered, feeling a knot tighten in his gut.

The corners of Gabriel's mouth tilted upward as he slowly shook his head.

“Yeah, I do, Sammy-boy,” he sighed, as Dickie whined in his arms, “Prayers to answer. Souls to save. You know how it is. Besides, I'm sure that emotionally-constipated brother of yours is probably looking for you.”

Sam's heart was still racing as he clutched the candy necklace in his hand. Why did it feel so bad to have to watch Gabriel leave? They had just kissed, right? Maybe that was something Sam could hold onto for now. Just like the bundle of candy in his hand. A smile flashed back across Sam's face before he raised his eyes back to the archangel.

“You're wrong, you know,” he mumbled.

Gabriel's eyebrows slid together in confusion.

“About what?” he asked, sounding curious.

Sam held up the candy necklace, letting it dangle in the gentle morning breeze. He let himself get lost in the amber eyes in front of him as he spoke.

“This is pretty damn special to me,” he answered truthfully.

Gabriel's eyes seemed to grow full of emotion. The trickster looked as harmless as a kitten all of the sudden, gazing at Sam with eyes that seemed to say ' _aww_.' With a sudden whoosh, Gabriel was instantly pressed against Sam again, craning his neck up to brush their lips together. Sam's eyes flickered closed as he kissed the archangel back firmly. But he only had a few seconds to savor the act before Gabe pulled away again.

“Damn you and your adorable ass,” Gabriel grumbled, “Stop making it hard to leave.”

Sam smirked with pride as he watched the trickster ease away. There was a seriousness about his features again as he shifted Dickie in his arms. The dog seemed to be whining a lot more now, looking so sad in Gabriel's arm. Sam and Gabriel met eyes again and the archangel gave a small wave.

“I'll see you soon, kiddo,” he promised.

And just like that, Gabriel was gone.

Sam blinked and looked around the vacant area, feeling like a giant chunk had just been ripped out of him. What the hell was he supposed to do, now? He just had the craziest, most amazing night of his life, and now it was officially over. Sam felt so lonely all of the sudden, like he was the only soul in existence. He never thought he would actually feel this way, but why did Gabriel have to go?

As he stood in a state of growing sadness, Sam's eyes slowly fell to the candy beads in his hand. A sigh escaped his lips as he raised it up to hang it around his neck. The multicolored candies laid invitingly on his chest. At least he still had this; the one thing that made the whole night real. It really wasn't worth the thousand bucks he had to fight to earn – because it was priceless. This candy necklace was more than just candy. In a way, it was the whole night materialized into a single tangible object. It was every drink at the bar, and every person cheering at the club, and every stupid joke and shameless flirt... but more than anything else, these candies were _Gabriel_. And that was the only thing from the night Sam wanted to take with him.

With the sun still climbing up over the horizon, Sam got into the Impala and started her up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the end of this chapter sounds like the end, but it's not. There is still one more chapter to come! (And then 3 more parts after that. lol.) ;) Hooray! Sam and Gabe finally kissed! And I think Dickie was very happy for them. :) Don't worry, you guys. know Gabe left, but he's totally coming back. Like he always does. ;) Thank you all so much for all the love in the comments section! I love you all so much! *hugs and kisses* The next chapter - which has a lil bit of smut - will be out soon! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Though Gabriel had just disappeared from his life again, Sam couldn't shake the intense happiness pumping through his veins. He was still kinda feeling like Indiana Jones; like he just found the treasure, kissed the girl, and was now riding off into the sunset like an adventurous badass. It was the feeling of total victory that made him grin so idiotically like this. How was it possible to feel so damn good? Yeah, Gabriel had flown away and it hurt to see him go – but the trickster flat out promised he would be back soon. And with every tiny molecule of his being, Sam believed it.

The morning sun was sneaking behind some overcast clouds when Sammy pulled up to Bobby's house. His fingers were tangled in the string of candies around his neck as he slowed to a stop in the small driveway. The man couldn't help but touch the chain of beads around his neck; wanting to stay in constant remembrance of the whole night. Sam spotted Cas loitering near the backdoor as he turned of the engine and stepped out of the car. Why did the angel seem so nervous? Was he really _pacing_ back and forth? Apparently, something was happening inside the house that presumably involved Dean. Cas barely noticed Sam walk up at all.

“Hey, Cas,” Sam said, finally letting go of the necklace to give a slight wave.

The angel blinked away from the door to actually turn toward Sam. Whatever was happening inside obviously weighed on him.

“Hello, Sam,” Cas seemed to sigh.

As soon as these words escaped his mouth, Cas's eyes fell to Sam's neck and Sam couldn't help but notice the hint of surprise that flashed across the angel's expression. He followed the line of Cas's sight to the candies laying on his own chest and a twinge of paranoia came over Sam. The man's eyes shot back up to watch Cas stare boldly at his candy necklace. Why was Cas studying it so closely like that? Could he somehow tell that it was a gift from Gabriel?

“Where did you acquire that?” Cas asked, pointing a finger toward the candy.

Sam gulped at the angel's suspicious tone and instantly reached up to clutch the necklace. Though Sam was very proud of the amazing night he just had, he wasn't exactly all gung-ho for telling every one about it. What Sam did – and who he _kissed_ – wasn't anyone else's business. But Cas looked almost shocked; blue eyes clouded with protective worry. For a split second, Sam wanted to ask Cas what he knew about the necklace and why it seemed like he had seen it before. But he didn't. Sam only shrugged it off and edged his way toward the door.

“Uh, I stole it from a little girl,” he said, quickly deciding to pepper his answer with half-truths.

“You stole that candy from a child?” Castiel asked, tilting his head in disbelief.

“Yep,” Sam chuckled nervously as he kept walking, trying to scurry away from Cas's prying questions, “I had a hankering for something sweet... Well, I'll, uh... I'll talk to you later, Cas.”

Sam quickly broke off the conversation and stumbled his way into Bobby's kitchen, thankful to be out of reach of Cas's inquiries. Paranoia was suddenly sparking in his gut. Cas didn't know that he got the candy from Gabriel, did he? And if he did, how the hell did he figure it out? Was there some angelic stamp on the damn thing or something? Was it Gabriel's way of marking his territory? A smile flashed on Sam's mouth as he stepped toward the kitchen counter. Dickie had suddenly come to mind at the thought of marking territory. Sam missed that little fur ball so much already...

Just as Sam lifted his head to look around the room, he was met with the sight of Dean and Bobby sitting at the kitchen table. Dean was slouching on the left, half covering his weary eyes, and Bobby was sitting on the right with a look of utter guilt written on his face. The air was thick with serious tension. Had Sam interrupted a private talk or something? Why were Dean's eyes so red and wet?

The smile slipped away from Sam's mouth and he crossed his arms to lean up against the counter. He tried to push thoughts of Gabriel and Dickie toward the back of his mind and attempted to be serious for his brother. Because Dean looked terrible.

“What's going on?” Sam asked, hoping he could still be of some use.

Dean's eyes narrowed toward him.

“What's going on with you?” he shot back, eying Sam's throat, “Is that a _candy_ necklace?”

Panic washed over Sam at the sound of his brother's bewildered voice. Dean sounded just as suspicious as Cas! Fear accompanied Sam's panic when the thought of Dean finding out about Gabriel snaked its way inside his mind. What would happen to Sam if his big brother knew he had flirted with the trickster? And played with him? And _kissed_ him? Sam's eyes flashed down at the candy on his neck. Geez, Sam might as well have been wearing a neon sign around his neck that said ' _I made out with an archangel and all I got was this stupid candy necklace._ '

Sam's body reacted without him. His hand shot up to tug on it in an attempt to pull it off. But, to Sam's horror, the string snapped - and all the candy beads instantly fell to the floor, filling the room with small clinking noises as they bounced around. Sam dropped to his knees immediately and began to scrape all the candies together. Dammit! Why the hell did he do that?! Sam could feel Dean and Bobby's eyes on him as he nervously gathered his candy off the floor.

“Er, sorry, Bobby,” he mumbled, feeling like a total dumbass.

Sam was kicking himself in his own mind, as he scanned the kitchen floor for any remaining pieces. The one thing – _the one damn thing_ – he had to remember his night by, and he goes and breaks it. What would Gabriel say? Bobby began to speak toward Dean as Sam finished picking up the beads.

“You listen here, son, and you listen good,” he began, “I might not be your daddy, but I care for you the same now as I always have. It doesn't matter to me, whether you're with Cas or not. Who you choose to pork is your own damn business,” he paused to point toward the kitchen door, “That door is always gonna be open for you if you ever need anything from me. And I'm always gonna answer the phone when you call.”

Sam blinked down at Bobby as he climbed back to his feet, feeling curious. What were he and Dean in the middle of talking about before Sam walked in? Bobby's words seemed to strike home with Dean though, because a meaningful smile was on his face.

“All I ask is that you make Cas knock before barging in here,” Bobby added, looking a little uneasy, “That angel's already seen enough.”

“Thank you,” Dean nodded.

Sam glanced between the two men at the table while he rolled some of the candy beads in his hand. He was curious to know why Dean needed Bobby's pep talk. Was Dean worried about what their father might say if he found out that he was with Cas?

“Were you worried about Dad, or something?” Sam blurted, wanting to understand.

Dean's moist green eyes raised to meet Sam's. Honesty was potent in his stare.

“Yeah. I know he's dead and everything, Sammy. But he still gets to me,” Dean answered.

Sam played with the candy pieces in his hand for a second, rolling them around. He could understand why the thought of their father would stress Dean out, especially when it came to finding out about Dean and Cas's relationship. But the thought also made a new notion come to Sam's mind. It made him wonder if Dean had even considered their _mother's_ opinion. Even thought he didn't know her very well, Sam was suddenly imagining their mother meeting Cas for the first time; wrapping him in a comforting hug and thanking him for rescuing her son from hell while he just stood there giving Dean a look of bewilderment...

“Say it, Sam.”

Sam blinked himself out of his thoughts to look down at Dean. His brother looked as stern as ever, clearly wanting to know what Sam was thinking.

“Well, it's just,” Sam said, taking a small breath, “... Did you ever stop to think about what mom would say?”

There was a brief silence in the kitchen as the Winchester brothers stared at each other with understanding. Of course they knew what their mother would say. She would love Cas just as much as they did. Sam was glad that Dean had that look about him now, the look of someone who had just been just struck with an epiphany. The two of them just stared at each other for a moment before Dean finally raised to his feet. He stalked boldly passed Sam to get to the door.

“I gotta talk to Cas,” he mumbled, making his way outside.

The gentle slam of the door echoed briefly in the kitchen. Now that Dean was gone, Sam took the time to appraise the beads in his palm. He still felt like shit about breaking the necklace. But determination soon took over as he carefully removed the broken string from around his neck. He was not going to leave his most treasured possession in disarray like this. Not after realizing how much it meant to him...

Bobby got up and stepped closer to Sam when then he began to re-string in the necklace. Sammy felt a little uncomfortable under the old man's scrutinizing eyes. Geez, was everyone going to stare at him like this today? Was it really _that_ out of place for a grown man to have a candy necklace?

Thankfully, no words were spoken between the two of them. Bobby just rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee – and mumbled something that sounded like ' _Winchesters_ ' – before heading toward his study. As soon as Sam slid the last bead back onto the string, he tied the two ends back together and slipped it back over his head. A smile formed on his lips again, as he looked down at them. Ah. There. Fixed and back around his neck. Just where they ought to be.

Not really wanting to converse with Bobby, Sam went back outside to see how Dean and Cas were doing. But the two of them were gone. Sam scanned around for them as he stumbled back toward the Impala, but it was like they flat out vanished. Sammy clung to his necklace as he slowly climbed back into the car. That ache of loneliness was trying to return. Man, this was such a stark difference from last night; sitting here in the silence with the overcast sky above the car. Last night, Sam had gotten used to the chatter of conversation and thump of loud music – and the company of an archangel...

Suddenly, Sam didn't want to be alone anymore. The car doors felt disturbingly tight around him. Maybe Dean was close by somewhere and could come back to make this silence less painful. Sam pulled out his cell phone and dialed his older brother's number. It rang a few times before he answered.

“Uh... Hello?” he mumbled.

“Are you okay, Dean?” Sam asked, “You kinda just disappeared.”

“Yeah, I'm good. I'm with Cas,” Dean replied.

Sam caught the distinct tone of Dean's voice. The guy was obviously hinting that something personal was going on between him and his angel.

“Oh, er, am I interrupting something?” Sam muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“Yes,” Cas's distant voice answered, “You are.”

Ugh. Great. Dean and Cas were in the middle of God-knows-what and Sam was left to sit all alone in the car and wait for them. Again. The younger Winchester sighed.

“Sorry,” Sam said, caught between aggravated and embarrassed, “Just, uh, coming back whenever you're ready I guess. I'm waiting in the car.”

Sammy hung up before he had time to hear any obscene noises and tossed the phone into the seat beside him. His eyes roamed blankly out of the windshield and it wasn't long before his thoughts wandered back to the archangel with the candy lips. Sam's fingers crawled back up to tangle in the newly repaired string of candies as he recalled all of the past night's adventures. How was it possible to miss someone so much after just one night? Sam's eyes fell to look down at the multicolored beads. Well, at least he still had this, right?

Hoping to ease the sting of sadness, Sam raised the chain to his lips. He bit down on a single bead; breaking it in half between his teeth to remove it from the string. Sam chewed the gritty fragment with a smile, enjoying the fruity flavor. Wow, this tasted even better than he expected. What flavor was it, anyway? Maybe it was mango. Sam couldn't tell for sure.

But, just as he swallowed the tiny bit of candy, a strange tightening began to grow in Sam's lower stomach. His eyebrows came together at the sensation – and he realized his heart-rate was picking up, too; lungs expanding harder and faster to keep up with the pounding muscle. An abnormal chill raced across Sam's skin and goosebumps rose on his arms. Something was definitely happening to him. Was he having some sort of allergic reaction to the candy?

The tightening in Sam's gut seemed to spread even farther south, moving down to take control of his crotch, too. A heated gasp escaped the man's mouth as he looked down between his legs. Holy shit, he was getting an erection! There it was, growing thickly behind the tightening denim of his jeans. Where did _that_ come from? Sam's heart beat even faster, hammering against his ribs as he watched himself getting hard inside his pants. What the hell was happening to him? Why did he have an intense urge to touch himself?

All of the sudden, the only thing Sam could think about was Gabriel at the strip club from the night before. In his mind's eye, he could see the nearly-naked archangel strutting across the stage again, waving to the crowd as he shook his ass – that unbelievably tight ass that seemed to jiggle just the right way. Dammit, Gabriel looked so good like that; with his bare back arched and his chest glistening as it heaved. Sam could hear that candy-coated voice purring his name... _Sammy-boy_...

“Ahh!” Sam groaned, unable to hold back the noise.

He was suddenly palming at his own crotch, trying his best to jerk himself through the tight denim fabric. Gabriel was still prancing around like a stripper in his head, deliberately teasing Sam in that stupid gummy bear thong. Oh, God, Sam was almost there! Just a few more tugs and he would be coming everywhere. Sam's free hand clutched a handful of the seat as he thrust against his own palm, rocking his pelvis forcefully while he panted out loud. Ah, what he wouldn't give to be inside Gabriel right now; to be sliding in and out between those perfect ass cheeks -

“ _Ah!_ ” Sam cried again, feeling himself pulsing inside his clothes, “Y – Yeah! Ahh...”

Sammy was blissfully floating inside a dizzying state; his mind on temporary leave while his body flooded with pleasure. He tried to blink himself out of it while he struggled to catch his breath. He was trembling in the front seat of the Impala, quaking in the aftermath of an obscene orgasm. What the hell had just happened? The subtle hint of mango that lingered on his tongue seemed to tell him.

The candy necklace was, in fact, sexed-up.

Sam's eyes fell to the candy chain around his neck and he began to chuckle between raspy breaths. That tricky little son of a bitch! ' _Nothing special about them_ ', huh? More like, ' _Make sure you're not wearing your favorite pair of pants when you eat these._ ' A small part of Sam wanted to be mad about it, but a much larger part was too dazed from the orgasm to even care. He laughed a little more and shook his head in disbelief. Ah, that damn trickster. Sam should have known better than to take Gabriel's word for it...

The driver side doors were suddenly opening.

Sam gasped a little as he quickly shifted to the side. Dean and Cas got into the car and Sam tried his best to appear normal, like he didn't just have an amazing orgasm. He even casually laid his hand over the wet spot in his crotch, hoping Dean wouldn't see. But Sam could feel his brother's appraising eyes already on him.

“Did you... re-string that?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“Uh, yeah,” Sam answered, biting down a smile.

Dean didn't seem too comforted by this answer. He leaned over closer to Sam and breathed in deeply; actually taking the time to sniff him.

“Ugh, Sam,” Dean grumbled, raising an eyebrow, “Did you play with a dog last night? You smell like wet fur.”

Heat rose on Sam's cheeks, realizing that Dean was probably smelling Dickie. He instantly reached up to his neck and stuffed the candy necklace inside his shirt to hide it from view.

“I had a long night, okay?” he tried to dismiss, wanting his time with Gabriel to remain private, “Can we just go?”

Sam closed his eyes and turned his head toward the window. He tried his best not to think too much about Gabriel when the Impala roared to life.

* * *

Sam sighed heavily as he opened yet another book. The words on the page were blurring by now. The long day of reading was finally taking its toll on his eyes. Across the motel room, Dean and Cas were whispering to one another as they sat together on the far bed. Sam took the time to glance their way, giving his eyes something to look at besides pages of text. The two of them seemed like they were deep in conversation, staring at each other with adoring eyes and – were they holding hands?

Sam swallowed harshly at the sight of Dean and Cas's hands clasped together. Just as he did the morning before, Sam craved to know how it felt to be so close with some one; close enough to touch without a second thought. Of course, Gabriel came to mind as Sam sat staring at Dean and Cas's joined fingers from a distance. Sam and the trickster had flirted the night before, yes, and playfully touched shoulders... and _kissed_... but they didn't hold hands like that. Sam smiled at the thought of hooking his own fingers around Gabriel's tiny hand. He was sure the act would be so -

_It was the heat of the moment..._

Sam jumped a little at the sudden sound of a song interrupting the silence. How was it playing? And where was it coming from? The noise was muffled, but it was playing loudly in the room somewhere close by. Dean and Cas actually stopped talking and shifted their attention toward Sam. They seemed to be just as lost as he was.

“Is that Asia?” Dean asked, his eyebrows coming together.

Sam gave a nod, even though he still didn't know where the sound was coming from.

_Telling you what my heart meant..._

Sam's eyes fell to his own hips. The sound seemed to be coming from there, inside his pocket. He quickly dug inside and retrieved his cell phone. The man eyed the thing for a moment – wondering how the hell it was playing this song, because he knew for a fact he didn't have any musical ring tones – before the caller I.D caught his attention. It only said one thing... 'The Candyman.'

Sam had never answered a phone so fast in his life. He ripped it open and stamped the talk button, before quickly pressing it to his ear.

“H – Hello?” he asked, silently praying to hear that angelic voice answering back as he cradled the phone against his face.

“Do you think that it's possible for dogs to have person-withdrawal?” Gabriel's voice was unmistakable, humming in Sam's ear like a beautiful melody, “'Cause I'm pretty sure Dickie misses the hell out of you, kid. I think it's becoming a serious medical issue. What the - ? Aw, great. Now, he's humping the Impala. Dickie! Dickie, get off the tire! Stop!”

Sam's face could barely contain the grin growing on his lips.

“The – the Impala?” he repeated, slightly confused, “but, the Impala is -”

“Right outside your motel room,” Gabriel finished, “I know. Because I've been standing at the window like a stalker for about fifteen minutes, watching you study. Do you know how cute you are when you scrunch your nose at a book, Sammy-boy? I don't think you do. It's freakishly adorable.”

The whole time Gabriel was speaking in Sam's ear, Sam was up and running for the door. He was sure Dean and Cas were watching him, but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting outside to meet his favorite archangel. The man ripped the motel door open and bolted onto the sidewalk with his phone glued to his face. Sam heard the door close behind him as he instantly scanned the parking lot, starting with the Impala.

And there he was.

Gabriel was standing near the car, still holding a phone to his ear, when he turned to face Sam. A smile burst across his familiar face, lightening up his soft honey eyes. Some of his shaggy golden hair tossed to the side as he hung up the phone and stuffed in his pocket. He looked the same as ever; the same old Gabriel, smirking like a true trickster.

“Hey, kiddo,” he said, giving a slight wave.

That weird warm feeling was like an atomic bomb going off inside Sam, flooding his entire soul with happiness. He leaped forward and wrapped both of his arms around Gabriel's tiny frame to crush the archangel against him. Even though Sam thought his smile couldn't get any bigger, it stretched even farther along his mouth as he buried his face into Gabe's sweet-scented hair. Words couldn't explain how happy Sam was to be holding him like this; to finally be reunited with Gabriel.

“Whoa,” Gabriel chuckled, hugging Sam back, “That's quite the welcome! Maybe I should go away more often.”

“No!” Sam replied, instantly standing back up to meet Gabriel's golden eyes, “God, no. Don't ever leave again.”

“Please, call me Gabe. God is my father's name,” Gabriel smirked, waving a humble hand at Sam's statement, “And speaking of powerful things, did you try any of my candy?”

Sam's eyes narrowed playfully at the smug look on Gabriel's face as he kept his arms wrapped around him.

“Yes, I did,” he answered, giving the most suggestive look he could muster, “Why did you to me lie about them?”

Gabriel's cheeks seemed to tint with red as his amber eyes flickered briefly away.

“I didn't lie. Honestly, I didn't. The candy wasn't spiked, Sammy-boy... until you said that they were special,” he answered, batting his eyelashes “Then, I spiked it for you. With a little celestial magic.”

Sam smiled down at the archangel's honest expression. Why did hearing that statement making him feel so damn bubbly inside? The sound of loud barks drew Sam's attention to the car beside them. He watched Dickie hop off the Impala and run over as fast as he could. The dog jumped up and down and pawed Sam's leg, demanding his attention. Dickie was just as cute as ever, wagging his tail feverishly as he panted. How could Sam ever resist those puppy eyes?

“Hey, Dickie,” Sam said, letting go of Gabriel to pick him up.

Once he was in Sam's arms, the jittery dog instantly began to lick the man's face. Sam chuckled, trying to shake his head away from Dickie's uncontrollable tongue. Maybe it was true that dogs could have person-withdrawal, because obviously Dickie _did_ miss Sam. And, to be honest, Sam missed him just as much.

“Okay, okay, that's enough moose kissing for you,” Gabriel grumbled, carefully grabbing the dog out of Sam's hands to put him on the ground. Once Sam's arms were free again, Gabriel stepped up to refill them with his own small frame.

“It's my turn,” the archangel concluded.

Sam welcomed Gabriel's kiss, leaning down to press his lips firmly back against the archangel's. Gabe tasted just as sweet as ever, reminding Sam of cotton candy and peaches. The burnt orange sunset was casting a warm glow on them as they stood holding each other with their mouths joined next to the Impala. Sam never wanted to let go. He wanted to stand like this forever; just clinging to Gabriel and tasting his sweet mouth while Dickie serenaded them with barks. Nothing could ever feel as perfect as this... Gabriel pulled back just enough to breathe against Sam's lips.

“Finally,” he said, smirking as their eyes met again, “A good use for your big mouth.”

Sam smiled and shook his head, filling his nose with Gabriel's sweet scent.

“You're such an asshole,” he grinned.

“Hmm. Let's see,” the archangel began, “ _You're_ a dick. _I'm_ an asshole... That sounds like a match made in heaven. Doesn't it, Sammy-boy?”

Sam grinned, cradling Gabriel even closer.

“It sure does,” he answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of part one. :) As you can probably tell from the first half of this chapter, this story precisely follows along with the stories from the Solo Series. (Like I said, you can read them side by side. I really enjoy multiple POVs.) ;) I just hope that the edition of scenes from "Affection" didn't make this one sound too choppy. And yay! Gabe's back! And this time, he's gonna be sticking around for a while. ;) Thank you guys so much for reading and commenting! You're the best! :)
> 
> There is a lot more of this story - and the Solo Series - to come, but my good friend @Pandora_DeRomanus are going to see Foreigner in concert this Wednesday, (Hell yeah!) and I'm gonna have a busy weekend at home, so I probably won't be able to start publishing the rest of it until next Monday. (I'm so sorry!) :( But, on the Brightside, I'll be posting _two_ chapters a day instead of one! So you'll have plenty to read when I get back in a week. :D Thank you all sooo much for being so supportive and encouraging! I really hope you enjoyed this Sabriel fic and will stick around for the rest! Love you!  <3 See you in a week! :)


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